Hummingbirds For Mom

Leaving Feeders Up Won’t Hurt and More

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In many parts of the country, the hummingbirds have begun their migratory journey. This usually prompts people to begin wondering when they should take down their hummingbird feeders. This is something that my own mom often wondered about and that I have frequently been asked about by various friends and family who know that I am an avid hummingbird enthusiast. This post is for all of you and I thank you for prompting me to write this particular post.

Here in southeast Texas, which is located about 90 miles east of Houston, we have mostly Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and usually by this time of year they have migrated out of the area. This year seems to be different and the migration seems to be delayed. Several people I know, including my boyfriend’s mom, still have hummingbirds visiting their feeders every day at the present time. While it is difficult to explain the exact reason for this, it could be that the birds are just later in making their migratory journey or the birds may not be well enough to make the journey any longer.

It is important to know that there is no exact date by which your feeder should be taken down. The decision to do so isn’t an exact science. As a general rule, it is believed that leaving your feeders up until at least two weeks have passed since seeing your last hummingbird is a good idea. Doing so will not stop the hummingbirds from making their migratory journey. When migration occurs is determined by a change in the length of the day or photoperiod.

Also, leaving your feeders up for a longer period of time will provide a valuable food source for any birds that are late in making their migratory journey, those which are somehow off course or those that are physically unable to make the migratory journey.

On a personal note, I must apologize for the fact that there have not been any new post for the past several days. This was totally unplanned and unavoidable due to the fact that my Internet was down. It was not until earlier today that my friend was able to fix the problem. Thanks for your understanding concerning this matter.

Hummingbirds

What is a Hummingbird Call?

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The Hummingbird call is one of two basic vocal sounds made by the hummingbird with the other one being a song.
The call of a hummingbird allows the bird to communicate information such as the bird’s age, sex, species or even its emotional state.
The use of calls allows the hummingbirds draw attention to danger, express pain or fear, or as a method used to intimidate their competitors.
The ability to call will usually occur within minutes of when they leave the nest.

Dear Mom

What Does Hummingbird Banding Teach Us?

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This post makes me think of my mom, because she was always curious as to how exactly researchers were able to study and learn about hummingbirds. When this subject came up in discussion, my mom had said to me that she had heard of the term banding before but that she wasn’t really sure how that would tell researchers any kind of useful information. At the time, I did not have an explanation that would answer her question. Well, I have since discovered the answer and will now share it with all of you.

The term banding simply refers to the placement of tiny, lightweight aluminum band on the hummingbird’s feet which has a unique identification number on them that will belong to a specific bird throughout its entire lifetime. This band will serve to help researchers begin to better understand things like hummingbird migration, behavior, ecology, and biology. The collective information gathered by the various banders or members of the pubic will provide information on things such as longevity survivorship, site fidelity, migration routes, and the timing of these birds.

While the bird is being banded, it remains in captivity only for a very brief period of time, a matter of just a few minutes, so absolutely no harm will come to the bird as a result of it. During this time, researchers are gathering data on such things as the bids species, age, sex,the lengths of the bird’s bill, wing and tail, the condition of the feathers, evidence as to whether or not breeding has taken place, if disease or parasites are found on the bird, and finally pollen samples or some of the feathers may be gathered and studied.

So you see, even the brief encounters that the bird banders get to have with the hummingbirds it provides them with valuable information on these birds. Are you at all surprised by just how much hummingbird banding can teach us about these birds? I truly believe that my mom would have been completely shocked to discover the sheer volume of information that hummingbird banding can tell us about these utterly fascinating birds. With luck, this knowledge will help to ensure the long-term survival of these creatures called hummingbirds.

Much of the information for this post comes from Patterson Field Guides: Hummingbirds of North America by Sheri L. Williamson. As the author of this book, I wish to ensure that she is given proper credit for her work. Thanks for providing such an informative resource for anyone wanting to learn about hummingbirds.

Hummingbirds

The Costa’s Hummingbird

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The Costa’s Hummingbird is commonly found in the desserts of California and Arizona. It leaves the dessert during the hottest days of summer and can then be found to have moved to a shrub, woodland, or chaparral habitat.

One interesting fact about the Costa’s Hummingbird, when it is in a torpid state, its heart rate is only about 50 beats per minute. When the bird is not in a torpid state and it is resting, the Costa’s hummingbird usually has a heart rate of between 500-900 beats per minute.

This information comes from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Hummingbirds

What is Gleaning?

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Hummingbirds require protein as a part of their diet and about 10 percent of their diet consist of protein. The hummingbird will gather this through what is known as gleaning, which is when the hummingbirds hunt for insects or other prey while searching on barks, leaves or other surfaces or other hiding places. So, it seems that the practice of gleaning actually places a vital role in helping to try and ensure that the hummingbird has a more balanced diet. This is extremely important because no hummingbird can ever survive on nectar alone.