Ways to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden
Hummingbirds can be found all over North and South America and the Caribbean. Well-known for their hovering ability and their skill at backward flying, hummingbirds hover by rapidly flapping their wings up to 85 times a second.
The smallest bird in the world is the Bee Hummingbird at just two inches long and weighing around 2 grams. The largest hummingbird is the Giant Hummingbird at twenty four grams in weight and eight inches long. Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of any birds and to keep going they have to consume their own weight and more in food daily. To do this they have to visit hundreds flowers every day to gather the nectar. They have long beaks and tongues so they can reach deep into the blooms. They are able to slow down their metabolisms when at rest, unlike most other high metabolism animals. This extends their lifespan, which has been reported as long as 16 years.
Making A Hummingbird Friendly Garden
To attract hummingbirds to your garden plant brilliantly coloured flowers and bushes. Hummingbirds have a poor sense of smell but they are drawn to bright colours. Placing a feeder specially made for humming birds in your garden or on your deck will attract these lovely birds. Plant annuals include petunia, salvia, beard tongue, jacobinia, firespike and impatiens. Perennial plants include hummingbird mint, canna, columbine, lupine, hota, yucca and bee balm. For trees and bushes choose azalea, buddleia, cape honeysuckle, mimosa, weigela, flame acanthus, lantana, red buckeye and tree tobacco.
Don't use insecticides in your garden as this will kill insects and bugs that hummingbirds eat. They will also leave deposits on flowers which the hummingbirds could consume. Also provide lots of roosting places as hummingbirds spend in the region of eighty percent of the time resting on twigs, clothes lines etc. Supply plants that will provide nesting materials to be a focus for the females. They have a preference for downy nesting material from trees such as willow and eucalyptus and from mosses and ferns.
Hanging brightly coloured, speciality feeders in your backyard will be a focus for the hummingbirds. A good idea is to attach red ribbons that will blow all around the feeder. It's also beneficial to supply feeders at different heights as hummingbird species all have different preferences. Species that prefer plants that are low growing will visit a feeder located lower whereas species that feed on taller flowers and shrubs will rather go to a feeder sited in a higher position. Hummingbirds are also very territorial and a single hummingbird may well defend a single feeder and prevent other birds from feeding. Put a minimum of three feeders at assorted heights around your backyard.
Hummingbirds love a bath in the mist on leaves so you might put a mister close to some broadleaved shrubs to give them a bathing place.
How to Make Hummingbird Nectar
Make a sweet nectar by blending together a measure of sugar with 4 cups of water that has been boiled. Cool down and keep in the refrigerator. Unused nectar can be kept safely for approximately a week. Scrupulously clean hummingbird feeders every week by rinsing with a solution of one cup of vinegar to 4 cups of water and then washing out with clean water. Re-fill with the nectar solution and hang up in the shade. Do not add food coloring or sweeteners. Also don't use honey as it can ferment and be the source of a a harmful fungus. Replace the solution in your feeder every three days or oftener in hot, summer weather.
In Conclusion
It is easy to make a garden to attract these pretty birds. Give them the food they love and a secure location and hummingbirds will pay a visit your garden regularly.
See more garden craft ideas at Easy Craft Ideas
Aug 11, 2009 | 0 | bird care tips
