Hummingbirds are found throughout the Americas including the Caribbean. Known for their ability to hover and their skill at flying backwards, hummingbirds can hover by rapidly flapping their wings at high speeds up to 80 times a second.
The smallest bird in the world is the Bee Hummingbird at only 1.8 grams in weight and two inches long. The Giant Hummingbird is the largest hummingbird at at over 8 inches in length and 25 grams in weight. Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of any birds and to maintain this they have to eat in excess of their own weight in food every day. In order to do this they have to visit many hundreds of flowers a day to collect the nectar. They possess extended tongues and beaks in oreder to reach right into blooms. They can slow down their metabolisms when resting, unlike most other high metabolism animals. This extends their lifespan, which has been reported as long as seventeen years.
How to Make A Garden Friendly to the Hummingbirds
To draw hummingbirds to your garden you could plant brilliantly colored shrubs and flowers. Hummingbirds have very little sense of smell but they can be attracted by brilliant colours. Placing a a speciality hummingbird feeder in your garden or on your deck will catch the attention of these pretty birds. Plant annuals include petunia, salvia, beard tongue, jacobinia, firespike and impatiens. Some perennial plants include bee balm, costa, yucca, canna, lupine, cardinal flower and foxglove. For trees and shrubs pick buddleia, lantana, tree tobacco, mimosa, flame acanthus and azalea.
Do not use any pesticides in your garden as this will kill insects and bugs that hummingbirds eat. They also leave deposits on flowers which the hummingbirds could swallow. Also provide lots of roosting places as hummingbirds will spend almost 80% of their time perching on clothes lines, twigs etc. Supply plants that will supply nesting materials to attract female hummingbirds. Hummingbirds choose downy nesting material from trees like willow and eucalyptus and from lichens and mosses.
Placing vibrantly coloured, specially made hummingbird feeders in your backyard will attract the hummingbirds. A good plan is to fasten red streamers that blow all around the feeder. It’s also a good idea to supply feeders at different heights as hummingbird species all have distinctive preferences. Species that favor plants that are low growing will go to a feeder sited lower whereas species that feed on taller shrubs and plants will rather go to a feeder positioned in a higher position. Hummingbirds are also extremely territorial and an individual hummingbird may well guard a single feeder and prevent other birds from using it. Set at least 3 feeders at different heights all around your backyard.
Hummingbirds love to bathe in the mist on plants so you might place a mister near to some broadleaved vegetation to give them a place to bathe.
How to Make Hummingbird Nectar
A sweet nectar can be made by mixing together a measure of sugar with four cups of pre-boiled water. Allow the mixture to cool then keep in the refrigerator. Nectar that is unused can be stored safely for approximately seven days. Scrupulously wash hummingbird feeders every week by rinsing with a solution of 1 cup of vinegar to 4 cups of water then rinsing with plain water. Re-fill with the nectar solution and hang in the shade. Don’t use any synthetic sweeteners or food colouring. Also do not use honey as it can ferment and produce a a fungus that can poison the hummingbirds. Change the solution in the feeder every two or three days or oftener in hotter weather.
In Conclusion
It’s easy to make a garden to appeal to these attractive birds. Provide them with the food they love and a secure environment and hummingbirds will pay a visit your garden often.
See more about feeding wild birds and some cheap bird feeders to buy at Garden Bird Feeders or Garden Garden Bird Feeders UK