Category: Hummingbirds

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Dear Mom Hummingbirds

What Is the Longest Hummingbird Migration?

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The Rufous Hummingbird has the longest migration of any hummingbird species with a distance of more than 3,000 miles from the bird’s nesting grounds in Alaska and Canada to its winter habitat in Mexico.

This is a fact about hummingbirds that my mom would have enjoyed discovering, so I cannot help but think of her as well as all the readers of this blog as I was trying to determine what I would post for today. I hope you too have enjoyed discovering which hummingbird species has the longest migration journey.

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Hummingbirds

Are There Hybrid Hummingbirds?

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Have you ever wondered if different species of hummingbirds would ever breed outside of their own species? This is a question my boyfriend has asked me about this on numerous occasions and I had to admit that I did not know the answer to this question. This is what finally prompted to do some research and then write this post.

Yes, it is possible for hummingbirds of one species to breed with a hummingbird of another species. This occurrence results in the creation of hybrid species. Numerous hummingbird species including Anna’s, black-chinned, Allen’s, Costa’s, rufous, calliope and broad-tailed hummingbirds,can breed together to create hybrid species. This is just one of many facts that make identifying the various hummingbird species so extremely challenging.

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Dear Mom Hummingbirds

Is the Nest Abandoned Or Not?

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A relative had found a hummingbird nest in their yard and they then spent the next several days observing it and the activity of the mother feeding her young. I then received a call because the relative was concerned because they feared the young hummingbird had been abandoned by its mother. They wanted to know what to do if anything. My advice follows and I know that my mom would have been fascinated by the situation as well.

It is very rare for abandonment to occur but it can happen. Take note of whether the young appear to be healthy. This is a good sign that the young are being well cared for. It is likely that the mother bird has gone in search of food to feed the young and will eventually return to the nest. Another possible explanation may be that due to the young hummingbird’s stage of development the need for feeding may occur very infrequently and you are therefore unable to observe it happening.

The best advice I can offer is that you will need to watch the nest continuously for an hour or longer to know if the mother hummingbird has returned to the nest or not. If after all this, you have not seen the mother hummingbird return, I would then finally recommend that you contact a wildlife expert for further assistance with handling the matter.

I am happy to report that the nest in my relative’s yard had not been abandoned, as the relative saw the mother hummingbird later in the day. Of course, this news made me quite happy, but I was also pleased to be able to provide them with the knowledge and assistance required. I sincerely hope this information could also benefit you if it ever became necessary.

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Hummingbird Food Hummingbirds

Is It Easier to Attract Hummingbirds In the Fall?

In my personal opinion, in the fall it is easier to attract hummingbirds than in the spring. This post will explain why I believe this to be true.

In the fall hummingbirds will be searching for their winter feeding territory. As a result, hummingbirds are much more likely to linger at a good feeding spot and may remain there for between one to two weeks.

You will want to be sure and continue to provide food for the hummingbirds until the late fall. This will provide migrating hummingbirds food on which to feed along their long migratory journey. My best advice is that you leave your hummingbird feeders up for at least two weeks after you have seen your last hummingbird. This will ensure that that there is an available food source for any vagrant hummingbirds that still remain in the area after the other hummingbirds have left the area.

Please do not worry that leaving your feeders up in the fall will prevent the hummingbirds from migrating because this is simply not true. What will determine when migration occurs is a change in the length of the day or what is known as photoperiod.

Let me state the obvious, yes it is possible to attract hummingbirds in the spring also. People do it all the time and you should continue to try to do so as well, but this post is simply to explain why I think attracting hummingbirds is easier in the fall. Your personal opinion on this subject may also be affected by where it is that you live. Feel free to let me know how you feel concerning this matter.

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Hummingbird Food Hummingbirds

Hummingbird Migration Information

Are you someone whom is aware of the fact that hummingbirds migrate but after that you do not know anything about the migration habits of these birds? Well, then you are not alone and today’s post will provide you with some useful facts regarding hummingbird migration habits.

Many hummingbird species are known to migrate twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. It may surprise you to know that not every species of hummingbird migrates. During any hummingbird season you may see an occasional hummingbird remain around well after the others have left the area. This is usually due to the bird being unable to survive the migratory journey and the best thing you can do is leave your feeders up to help provide these birds with a source of food. The flowers and plants that also help feed the hummingbirds may no longer be blooming so this makes your feeder an even more vital food source.

Prior to making the long migratory journey, it is necessary for the hummingbird to gain a vast amount of body weight, between 25-40 percent of its body weight. This is vital to the bird’s survival while making the long migratory journey.

Different hummingbird species will take a different migration path. Hummingbirds choose to make this journey alone rather then in groups. Doing this means that the available food source does not have to be shared.

A hummingbird will follow the exact same route year after year. The route that will always be followed is the same exact route that was taken the first time the bird made a migration journey. As a result, it is possible for the hummingbird to return to the same exact flower or food source that it visited in the past. This astounds me! What about you? After all, how is it possible for the hummingbird to remember the exact flower or food source it has visited in the past, especially given that a hummingbird will visit between 1.000-2,000 flowers per day!

I hope that you have enjoyed discovering a little bit about the amazing migratory journey of the hummingbird. If you are like me, this is just yet another of the many things you admire about the hummingbird.