PRETTY AMAZING: Earlier this season, in April and May, Ruby -throated Hummingbirds arrived and livened up our backyards. Then almost as quickly as they show up, theyre gone again! This is absolutely normal and in fact, beneficial for us. In June and into July female Hummingbirds begin to select a site and build a nest for her young. She will try to have 2 nestings in a summer & once it begins they do not show themselves at nectar feeders very often. Hummingbirds eat mostly insects and spiders when they are nesting because of the extra nutrients and calories they provide for the babies and eggs. They even use spiders web to bind their nests to trees and to cover them in lichen for camouflage! How cool is that! These miniature marvels have been migrating between North and Central America for hundreds of years, a round trip in which millions of hummingbirds instinctively travel.They possess the fastest metabolism of any animal on the planet, burning between one to two times their body weight in food every day.Their wings beat 20-80 times per second, and they can fly up to 60 miles per hour, (but usually travel at 35-40 mph) Hummingbirds eat about every ten minutes. Despite popular belief, hummingbirds do not suck up nectar with their bills. They actually lap it up with their tongues, drawing nectar from its source up and into their mouths almost 12 times a second. Hummers can drink up to twice their body weight in nectar every day, most birds only eat 1/4-1/2 their body weight per day. Although this sounds like a lot, remember that Hummingbirds weigh 1/10th of an ounce, which is about the weight of a penny. Hummingbirds are found only in North and South America. There are 18 hummingbird species in North America, with most of them being found in the southwest United States. Most areas in the U.S. and Canada have only one or two species during the summer months. The Nectar Recipe: Offer nectar solution (four parts water, one part sugar) in a WILDBIRDSUNLIMITED Hummingbird Feeder now as a fuel-stop for the migrants and for resident hummingbirds so they have a reliable, consistent source of energy, no matter what is happening with the natural food supply. Enjoy the hummingbirds while theyre here, because they will head back to Mexico and Central America in late summer, early fall.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 18:09:53 +0000
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