Hummingbirds can be found all through the Americas including the Caribbean. Well-known for their ability to hover and their unique ability to fly backwards, hummingbirds can hover by rapidly flapping their wings at speeds as fast as 80 times a second.
The Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world at only 2 grams in weight and two inches long. The largest hummingbird is the Giant Hummingbird at at over 8 inches in length and 25 grams in weight. All the hummingbirds have the fastest metabolism of any birds and to maintain this they must consume their own weight and more in food every day. In order to do this they have to visit many hundreds of flowers daily to collect the nectar. They have long beaks and tongues in oreder to reach right into flowers. They can decrease their metabolisms when still, in contrast to the majority of other animals with a high metabolisms. This increases their natural life, which can be as long as 17 years.
How to Make A Hummingbird Friendly Garden
To draw hummingbirds to your garden you could plant brilliantly colored flowers and bushes. Hummingbirds have a poor sense of smell but they are attracted to bright colours. Placing a feeder specially made for humming birds in your garden or on your patio will be a focus for these pretty birds. Plant annuals include salvia, petunia, impatiens, firespike and jewelweed. Perennials you could plant include bee balm, costa, yucca, canna, lupine, cardinal flower and foxglove. For trees and shrubs pick azalea, buddleia, cape honeysuckle, mimosa, weigela, flame acanthus, lantana, red buckeye and tree tobacco.
Don’t use insecticides in your garden as you will eradicate bugs and insects that hummingbirds eat. They will also leave residues on flowers which the hummingbirds could ingest. Also supply plenty of roosting places as hummingbirds will spend about 80% of their time perching on branches, twigs etc. Make available plants that will supply materials for nesting to attract female hummingbirds. Hummingbirds prefer downy nesting material from trees such as eucalyptus and willow and from lichens and mosses.
Hanging up vibrantly coloured, specially made hummingbird feeders in your backyard will attract the hummingbirds. An excellent plan is to fix red streamers that move in the wind around the feeder. It’s also a great idea to hang hummingbird feeders at assorted heights as hummingbird species all have distinctive preferences. Species that prefer plants that are low growing will visit a feeder placed lower whereas species that feed on taller plants and shrubs will prefer to go to a feeder sited in a higher position. Hummingbirds are also very territorial and one hummingbird may perhaps guard a single feeder and prevent other birds from using it. Put no less than three feeders at different heights all around your garden.
Hummingbirds love a bath in the mist on foliage so you could position a mister close to some broadleaved shrubs to give them a place to bathe.
A Method of Making Hummingbird Nectar
Make a sweet nectar by blending together one cup of sugar with four cups of water that has been boiled. Cool down and store in the fridge. Excess nectar can be stored safely for up to 7 days. Thoroughly clean hummingbird feeders once a week by rinsing with a mixture of one cup of vinegar to 4 cups of water and then rinsing with plain water. Re-fill with the nectar and hang up in a shady place. Don’t use any sweeteners or food coloring. Also don’t use honey as it can ferment and create a a poisonous fungus. Swap the nectar in your feeder every two or three days or oftener when the weather is hotter.
In Conclusion
It’s not hard to make a garden that will attract these pretty birds. Provide them with the food they like and a comfortable environment and hummingbirds will visit your garden often.
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