Hummingbird nest with one egg.

I just ran across this web cam that is focused on a hummingbird nest. So you can watch the mother hummingbird sitting on the nest, up close!

Ah, well, she was here a few seconds before I captured this shot.

Here is the web address for the original web cam site:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/Hummingbird-Nest-Cam

ou can also watch through the video link in this article (below).

If you check back here often, you may be lucky enough to get to see the eggs hatch. Then you can watch the babies as they grow.

Free Webcam Chat at Ustream

For everyone’s convenience, I will also add that link to the sidebar, so you can easily find it again.

Happy Spring!

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With just a little bit of planning, you can have beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds flocking to your garden. That’s good news for gardeners because not only are these winged creatures fun to watch, they’re essential pollinators.

The key is to know what hummingbirds and butterflies look for, which is flowers with nectar. So when you select nectar-rich plants for your garden, look for varieties that are both prolific bloomers and have a long bloom time.

Prune your plants to prevent excessive woody growth and encourage the growth of new flowers.

Try these tips from Monrovia, one of the leading growers of plants:

Attracting Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are attracted to bright orange, red and hot pink blossoms. Their long, narrow beaks can reach the nectar of long, tubular flowers such as the Balboa Sunset Trumpet Vine with its large scarlet blossoms, and the Goldflame Honeysuckle, which has vibrant yellow and red flowers.

Other good choices are the Super Red Flowering Maple and the Navajo series of Salvia, available in many colors, including bright red, rose and salmon red.

Not all hummingbirds feed at the same height, so plant an array of shrub sizes and climbing vines for food sources.

Attracting Butterflies

Butterflies are attracted to yellow, orange and red. They too are seeking nectar, but their mouths, or proboscises, are much smaller, so they prefer flatter flowers they can perch on while they feed.

The no-fail plant for butterflies is the Butterfly Bush, or Buddleja. However, since they can get too large for some gardens, consider the Petite series of Dwarf Butterfly Bushes. Petite Indigo has a profusion of lilac-blue flowers; Petite Plum sports reddish-purple blooms and the Petite Snow has pure white blossoms.

Lilacs are favorites of butterflies, but don’t typically flower well in climates with warmer winters. The Blue Skies Lilac produces huge clusters of light lavender-blue flowers that don’t require winter chilling.

Butterflies love Coneflowers, such as the bright pink Pixie Meadowbrite. Asters are great because they bloom well into fall. The new Farmington Aster has a profusion of lilac bloom clusters that butterflies flock to.

Supply a source of water. Hummingbirds enjoy flying through a fine mist, which cools them off. Butterflies like drinking from shallow puddles. Position some large flat rocks in a sunny spot, on which butterflies can sun themselves to warm their wings.

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About the author:

Author: Marilyn Pokorney

Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading. Website: http://www.apluswriting.net

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The earliest hummingbird feeders were typically constructed from laboratory apparatus. These were constructed primarily to attract the birds that would normally fly around a garden.

To these, the response of the manufacturers was to market and create sugar-water feeders. Many of those are uniquely created, justifying the high cost of each feeder. But most are mass-produced for the general public.

Like with most things in the market, hummingbird feeders come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and designs. The ideal feeders are those that can be cleaned easily and hangs readily.

Good hummingbird feeders are sturdy and have few parts that can be lost or broken. Most hummingbird feeders come with both glass and plastic reservoirs.

Glass feeders last longer and are easier to clean and sterilize, but they are likely to shatter when dropped. Plastics on the other hand are relatively cheaper than that of the glass reservoirs but discoloration is notable.

Small feeders typically have only one port for feeding. Larger feeders have three or more. Many feeders provide perches for hummingbirds to rest upon while feeding.

The most common mistake among novices who buy hummingbird feeders is buying overly large feeders. This is bad, because the nectar, a sugar-syrup solution, can easily spoil before the hummingbirds can find and drink it.

One hummingbird feeder may not be enough for the birds in a moderately sized garden. It is best to place two or, if possible, several hummingbird feeders throughout the garden. That way the dominant birds cannot defend all the locations, so more hummingbirds can feed at once.

Hanging multiple feeders can encourage a larger number of birds to regularly come to your yard, because many more hummingbirds can feed at once. Logically, it is a good idea to put these hummingbird feeders in locations where you may observe the birds feeding. But we must also make the location safe and convenient for our feathered guests.

After all, the sugar solution we give is just a bonus the birds get for dropping by in our places. It is a welcome supplement to their regular diet of small insects and flower nectar. They can survive just fine without our help.

Most hummingbirds are gone during winter. They migrate to the tropical regions where there are more flowers and small insects for them to eat in the winter. If in any case a hummingbird visits you during this season, it is may be that it is ill or genetically inferior and cannot travel.

To provide shelter for such weaker hummingbirds, some enthusiasts prefer to leave the hummingbird feeders outside their homes all winter, offering both food and sanctuary for the lovely creatures. The nectar solutions in the hummingbird feeder must still be changed daily.

When choosing a hummingbird feeder, most experts recommend those that are red in color. Though there so little scientific research to support the claim that hummingbirds are especially attracted to red, most feeders seem to appear in shades of red.

The belief that hummingbirds prefer red is also the source of the common practice of dying the water sugar solution with red. However, dying the water is not good for the birds, so it is better to buy red feeders.

It is best to choose a hummingbird feeder that has excellent protection from ants, bees and wasps. While you can add such protection, it probably will not be as attractive or as sturdy as protection that is built into the feeder. To avoid attracting bees and wasps, it is best not to use yellow feeders.

Also, look for feeders that have built-in perches and those that are small. Once you have established how many birds you can expect to visit every day, you can decide if a bigger feeder is justified. While it is a bother to refill feeders more than once a day, you must change the nectar every day or so anyway to prevent it from spoiling and making the birds sick.

Hummingbirds are beautiful little flying jewels. We love watching their amazing, acrobatic flight. Not only are they beautiful, but these pugnacious little birds are fun to watch as they squabble with each other and run off much larger birds who dare to approach their feeders.

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Ants

Bees and Wasps

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The hummingbird is a beautiful yet very agile bird. The chance to see them very closely in the wild is somewhat rare. This is because like most wild animals, they are simply not comfortable around us humans. One option to eliminate this problem is to provide a place for them to find supplementary food.

A popular way to attract hummingbirds to your garden is by using a backyard bird feeder filled with nectar. You can also put a bird bath in your garden. Birds do like to bathe in fresh, clean water.

You can, of course, go to your nearest pet store or garden center and buy the latest and greatest in hummingbird bird feeders, and you can very simply try your hand at making the hummingbird nectar. That is a simple, easy project to do, and the satisfaction that you’ll gain as you look at the many birds will definitely be worth your effort.

The main reason for buying a hummingbird feeder is to see these tiny birds in action. Decide which hummingbird feeder will look best, and find a good place to hang it in your garden in the place where you most want to attract these beautiful jewel-toned birds so that you can watch them. The decorative effect the hummingbird feeder will have in your garden is just an added benefit.

There is one particular type of hummingbird feeder that is especially beautiful and has the ability to catch the attention of the busy little birds. It is made entirely out of red cut-glass. The shape of this bottle somewhat resembles a prism. The base of the bottle is narrow, but the bottle widens as you go upwards. This will allow you to store enough nectar to last for a few days.

Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red. So as the reflected light bounces off the red glass bottle, curious hummingbirds will definitely decide to come and investigate your garden. And then enjoy all the beautiful birds to your garden.

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Author: brian ramsey

Hummingbirds are a joy for a birdwatcher to observe. They are found only in the Western Hemisphere, from as far north as Southeastern Alaska and the Maritimes of Canada and as far south as Southern Chile. There are approximately 350 species of hummingbirds with 320 species found in the tropics.

Within the family of hummingbirds is found the smallest bird in the world, the Bee Hummingbird of Cuba at 2.17 inches (5.5 cm) and weight 1.95gm (0.07 oz). Hummingbirds range in size from 2 inches to 8 inches.

The hummingbird derives its name from the humming sound that is produced by its rapid wingbeat. Generally the wingbeat is so rapid that the individual only sees a blur as most of these birds flap their wings about 50 times per second.

The speed of the wingbeat depends on the size of the bird, the largest the Giant Hummingbird, has a wingbeat rate of 10-15 times per second. The fastest recorded rate was about 80 times per second, on a tiny Amethyst Woodstar, and the slightly smaller Bee Hummingbird – the world’s smallest bird – may have an even faster rate.

A hummingbird’s wing is flexible at the shoulder, but inflexible at the wrist, this enables them to fly in many different directions. They can fly right, left, up, down, backwards and even upside down. To move away from the flowers on which they feed hummingbirds fly backwards and are the only bird able to fly backwards.

While other birds get their flight power from the downstroke only, hummingbirds also have strength on the up-stroke. Though they fly very fast, they can suddenly stop and make a soft landing. They are so light they do not build up much momentum.

Hummingbirds have poorly developed feet, so that although they are able to perch and will do so when feeding or resting, they do not walk. In order to move, even along a branch, they fly. Hummingbirds lift from perches without pushing off; they rise entirely on their own power, flapping their wings at almost full speed before lifting off. Hummingbirds sleep perched on branches with their neck retracted and their head forward, the bill pointed up at a sharp angle, and the feathers fluffed.

It is believed that hummingbirds live for only 3 to 4 years. They have a fast heartbeat with a rate of 1260 beats per minute having been measured in a Blue-throated Hummingbird. In torpid hummingbirds, the heart rate can drop to 50-180 per minute. Their fast heart rate and rapid wing motion require them to feed regularly throughout the day. It is reported that they must feed every 10 minutes and they may consume 2/3 of their body weight in a single day.

A major part of a hummingbird’s diet is the nectar they obtain from flowers and their bills are perfectly adapted to the various types of flowers that they feed on. Some hummingbirds have especially curved or elongated bills that allow them to feed on special flowers, eg the White-tipped Sicklebill hummingbird whose downward curving bill allows it to draw nectar from heliconias.

The Ruby-Topaz Hummingbird has a short and slightly decurved bill that is suited to feeding on the flowers of the ixora shrub. The Blue-tailed Emerald has a short bill that is suited for feeding on the Hibiscus flower. The Copper-rumped Hummingbird has a straight long bill that allows it to feed on medium sized tube shaped flowers such as the allamanda.

In feeding, hummingbirds use their tongue to lap the nectar in a similar manner to cats lapping milk. Their tongue can extend a distance equal to their beak length. As they feed hummingbirds accidentally collect pollen and as they move from flower to flower, they help the flowers to reproduce.

Hummingbirds have little or no sense of smell, so colour is important to a hummingbird’s search process for locating flowers containing nectar. While they will visit any flower that has sufficient nectar they prefer flowers that are red to orange in colour. It is believed that there are several reasons for this colour preference.

Red flowers stand out in a green background and so are more easily seen by the hummingbird. It is also believed that because hummingbirds compete with insects for nectar they choose flowers that are less likely to be visited by insects. Most insects do not see well at the red end of the colour spectrum and so may not visit red flowers while hummingbirds see the full visible spectrum.

Hummingbirds also need protein in order to build muscles, so they eat insects. They prefer to feed on small spiders and slow-flying insects such as gnats, small wasps and leafhoppers, which are rather buoyant in air and easy to catch. They also probe the bark and foliage for insects such as aphids, spiders, caterpillars and insect eggs.

It is believed that up to one-half of their diet is made up of small insects. Hummingbirds are capable of living for extended periods without nectar as a component of their diet. They can quickly convert fat reserves and recently ingested insects to energy when deprived of nectar.

Hummingbirds compete for nectar and insects and so they develop territories, which they guard aggressively. They will fight with other hummingbirds that enter their territory but serious harm is seldom inflicted during these fights. Also when food sources are scarce they fight to protect their source.

Most hummingbirds are green except hermits, which are mainly brown, and are known for the iridescence. These brilliant, iridescent colors of the hummingbird plumage are caused by the refraction of incident light by the structures of certain feathers. These structures split light into its component colors, and only certain frequencies are refracted back to the viewer. The brown colour in some hummingbirds is the result however of pigmentation.

Hummingbirds groom themselves with their bills and claws, using oil from a gland near their tail. They also use their claws like a comb to groom their heads and necks. They sunbathe positioning their breast towards the sun and fluffing out, extending their neck and spreading their tail.

Hummingbirds also take water baths using the water in shallow pools or cupped leaves. They flutter their wings or pull them straight back while lifting and spreading their tail; they dip their chins and bellies into the water. At times they can be seen sitting on a bare branch allowing the rain to soak through to their skin. After bathing they will preen and dry their feathers.

Hummingbirds build cup shaped nests, however hermits build long hanging nests usually attached to foliage. Male hummingbirds do not contribute to the building of nests or the care of young. All feeding is therefore left to the female.

When feeding the female perches on the side of the nest, arches her back, stretches her neck, lifts her head, and holds her bill down to regurgitate nectar and half-digested insects to her babies. Her throat swells and she pumps her beak like a sewing needle.

Although various larger birds, snakes, and mammals raid hummingbird nests for eggs and chicks, this is not a major cause of death.

About the Author:

This article was provided by Brian Ramsey, who is the author of the bird identification CD, Discovering the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago found at www.birdsoftt.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Learning About Hummingbirds

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Author: ATrujillo

Hummingbirds are tiny, but rather sturdy little birds. They are wonderful little creatures and each one has its own personality, not to mention attitude.

Hummingbirds are the original helicopter and are considered by many to be little clowns as they dash and dart amongst each other. They are among the smallest of all warm-blooded animals and lack the insulating downy feathers typical of many other bird species.

Hummingbirds have long narrow beaks and long thin tongues. Their tongues are incredibly long ,about 2 ½ times the length of their beaks, which are rolled at the back of their throat (the best image to describe this is like a party blower, curled at one end). Their bills come in different sizes and shapes, also.

Hummingbirds have muscular bodies, extremely flexible wings and can beat their wings about 80 beats per second. They are famous for their many aerial displays. Hummingbirds are built for power and dazzle, they are little more than flight muscles covered with feathers.

They are not very social animals, which is why you never see them flying in flocks. Hummingbirds come in all colors of the rainbow and are often brightly colored and iridescent. Hummingbirds also love to bathe on misted leaves. They are also more reliable pollinators; insects become inactive on cold or rainy days, but hummingbirds visit flowers regardless of the weather.

Hummingbirds are thought by evolutionary biologists to have evolved in South America, and the great majority of the species are found there. They inhabit a variety of temperate and tropical habitats from the wettest to the driest, and from sea level to over 14,000 feet in the Andes mountains.

Several hummingbirds species will migrate annually between the two regions. Hummingbirds are capable of traveling vast distances through their migration, in human equivalence about 50,000 miles per day. Hummingbirds occur throughout the Americas, but most species inhabit tropical South America.

Their habitat in North, Central, and South America is being lost to development and fragmentation, as well as to the exploitation of forested regions for the production of wood, coffee, and other crops.

Hummingbirds are called nectivores because about 90 percent of their diet is nectar from flowers. They need to eat a third to a half of their body weight daily to fuel their high-energy lifestyle. Hummingbirds feed every ten or fifteen minutes from dawn to dusk every day.

They like flowers that are bright and that open during the day, when they are awake. Hummingbirds are attracted to many flowering plants—shrimp plants, Heliconia, bromeliads, verbenas, fuchsias, many penstemons. They have no ability to smell, therefore, flowers do not need to be scented. Hummingbirds are attracted to red tubular flowers, but you don’t have to plant all red flowers; purple and blue hues will also work.

Hummingbirds are said to be most drawn to flowers that are either large and showy or in drooping clusters of red, orange and pink. Hummingbirds may return to some of these locations because they are near a stable wildflower area which has produced a dependable food source for years or decades.

Nectar feeders can also be used as a supplemental food source for hummingbirds. Hummingbirds readily find and use feeders and their food is very easy and cheap to make, (usually 1 to 4 ) one part sugar to four parts water. Hummingbirds should never be given honey, brown sugar, molasses, fruit juices, bouillon or sugar substitutes.

They have a specialized diet that is difficult to duplicate, so they are hard to feed properly, and they might get sick and die if given these food sources.

Hummingbirds are very territorial and will aggressively protect nectar sources. They will defend all of the feeding stations they can see from one perch. Hummingbirds use their beaks like a drinking straw and drink so quickly and come and go in such energetic spurts that it’s easy to think they take a quick sip through their beak and are off.

They feed primarily on nectar from flowers, but occasionally they need protein which they get from consuming spiders and small insects. They often eat more than twice their weight in nectar and insects every day. Hummingbirds can also be attracted to a reliable water source like a mister .

Hummingbirds are so adept at flying that they have no need to walk. Most of them never walk as far as 2 inches. They are called hummingbirds because of the sound that they produce during flight. Hummingbirds do make distinctive “zinging” noises with their wings and are known for their rapid flight.

Hummingbirds can move instantaneously in any direction, start from its perch at full speed, and doesn’t necessarily slow up to land. Hummingbirds are the only species of birds that can truly fly backwards.

They can even fly short distances upside down, a trick they employ when being attacked by another bird. Hummingbirds have weak feet and are more at ease using their wings even to shift in the nest or on a perch.

Hummingbird feeding for most North Americans is purely a summertime activity, but some species have been sighted in the winter months. Hummingbirds are the tiniest and most fascinating birds that will visit your backyard.

Many people get great enjoyment and amazement out of watching these little birds visit year after year. Educate yourself about the study of hummingbirds and also other bird species. Hummingbirds are great fun and you just might learn something!

About the Author: Written by ATrujillo I work from home

For more information go to: http://www.thehummingbirdsite.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Hummingbirds the Original Helicopter

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Author: Mayoor Patel

Unlike many of the birds you may try to attract with feeders in your garden the hummingbird is not one to share. This is because they are one bird that is protective of its own territory and will not readily share a food source with other hummingbirds. That means if this is the bird you want to attract you will need to put several hummingbird feeders around your garden.

Hummingbirds are very accepting of where their feeders are located so you can put them in many locations. They can be outside a window of a home or office or on an apartment’s balcony. These places are as comfortable for the birds as if they are hanging from a tree branch.

The thing you need to be sure of is whether the area you live in is one that hummingbirds travel through on their yearly migrations. You can find this out by doing a little research on the internet.

To ensure you have a chance of attracting these beautiful little birds put the hummingbird feeders out early in the spring. Then keep them out there until the end of the fall.

If you have previously attracted the hummingbirds and then there are none that will mean they have completed their migration south and it is time to put the feeders away until next year. They may get damaged by hanging outside during the poorer weather and since there will be no birds to feed it is wiser to bring them inside, clean them and store them until the next spring.

Hummingbird feeders can be bought or you can make them yourself. They are frequently made from a bottle or a tube. This kind of feeder is made from glass or plastic and has tiny holes in it for the feed, known as nectar, to come through.

These feeders must be made to in a way that allows them to be cleaned regularly. Again, based on the nectar, this is important. You want to be able to take it completely apart and wash is each time before you are ready to refill it.

The nectar is very easy to make. You take water, boil it, and then add sugar. It should be one fifth sugar with four fifths water which is then stirred until it is well mixed. Once this is done allow the mixture to sit until it has cooled. Then pour it into the nectar feeder and wait for those amazing little birds to come and have a drink.

About the Author:

Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website http://bird-feeders.wares-are.us. Please visit for information on all things concerned with Humming bird feeders

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – All About Humming Bird Feeders

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Author: Steve Peek

Hummingbirds notoriously have a high wing-beat rate, and it is its fast wing-beat rate that generates the hum for which the hummingbird is named.

High Metabolism Rate

The largest of hummingbirds, the Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas), grow to be about 24g and have an average wing-beat rate of 8-10 beats per second.

Mid-sized hummingbirds, the Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus), grow to weigh about 3g and beat their wings at a rate of 20-25 beats per second.

The smallest species of hummingbirds, the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), only grow to approximately 1.8g, and yet they beat their wings at about 70 beats per second.

One might wonder how a hummingbird could generate such an incredibly fast wing-beat rate, but this kind of metabolism is very similar to the energy derived by giving a three-year-old child a can of Mountain Dew to drink. The high sugar-intake taken by the child creates a situation where the child seems to bounce off the walls. Well, the same thing happens with the hummingbird too.

Each day, hummingbirds of all species consume more than the equivalent of their own body weight in nectar, which has an average sugar content of 25%. This high daily sugar-intake results in an extremely high metabolism rate for these tiny birds – the highest in all of the animal kingdom.

According to a 2001 book, “The Birds of Ecuador volume 2 – Field Guide”, written by Robert S. Ridgely and Paul G. Greenfield, a hummingbirds’ heart beat has been measured as high as 1260 beats per minute!

Interestingly, other organisms that metabolize at a rate equal to the hummingbird typically have a very short-lifespan. But, hummingbirds have lived in captivity for up to 17 years.

Flower Pollination

It has been estimated that the average hummingbird will visit 100 flowers per day, pollinating many flowers as they go. But with most flower species, the hummingbird has to compete directly with bees and wasps for access to the nectar.

Interestingly, bees and hummingbirds tend to avoid flowers that have a sugar-ratio in the range of 15%, which is average for most flowers. Instead, bees and hummingbirds tend to only pollinate flowers that have the higher 25% sugar content in the nectar.

Most of the flowers that hummingbirds pollinate are red, bright pink and orange in color. An interesting twist in this story is that hummingbirds can view wavelengths into the near ultra-violet. Insect-pollinated flowers tend to reflect certain wavelengths, which tip off the insects that those flowers are inviting the insects to visit. But the flower species that hummingbirds typically pollinate do not reflect the same wavelengths as other flower species do, which in effects makes those flowers invisible to passing insects.

Of course, while the hummingbirds need to visit flowers to obtain the sugars they need to properly metabolize energy for flight, nectar does not provide enough nutrients to ensure good health. Hummingbirds meet their dietary needs for protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. by preying on insects and spiders, especially when they are feeding young.

Range of the Species

Until recently, it was believed that hummingbirds were strictly an American bird, ranging from Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. But in 2004, Dr. Gerald Mayr, a paleornithologist at the famed Senckenberg museum in Germany, found a 30-million year old hummingbird fossil that had been unearthed in a dig near Heidelberg, Germany.

The majority of the 325-340 species of hummingbirds reside in warm tropical areas of Central and South America. But those species that can be found on the southern tip of South America and those species that take up residence in North America are typically migratory birds.

While hummingbirds are typically at rest, except when feeding, hummingbirds are known to cross great bodies of water, including the Gulf of Mexico. That is the reason why many hummingbird species can also be found in many Caribbean islands.

Common North American Species

Although 17 hummingbird species have been known to nest in North America, only a few are considered common. Most frequently seen in North America are the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the Black-chinned Hummingbird, the Rufous Hummingbird, the Anna’s Hummingbird, the Broad-tailed hummingbird, and the Calliope hummingbird.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is most frequently found east of the Mississippi River. The Black-chinned Hummingbird is most often found in the western United States.

The Rufous Hummingbird is found most often in the Northwest all the way to Alaska. The Anna’s Hummingbird is common from southern California to southern Arizona and north to southwestern British Columbia.

The Broad-tailed hummingbird is common in the spring and summer in higher elevations from Arizona north to the Canadian border. And the Calliope hummingbird is found through-out the west except for the Southwest and the Pacific Coast.

Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden

In order to attract hummingbirds to your garden you must provide them the nectar producing flowers that they desire. There are quite a variety of blooming plants and you will want ones specific to where you live so do a little research for “hummingbird flowers” in your area and most likely your local nursery will offer them. As a final touch add a couple of pretty hummingbird feeders and you are set.

Interestingly, the combination of people planting winter flower gardens and providing hummingbird feeders has encouraged more hummingbirds to make North America their year-around homes in the temperate areas along the Gulf and Pacific coasts.

You will want to be very selective when picking a hummingbird feeder as many models simply do not do this beautiful bird justice. The fact is that many hummingbird feeders force the hummingbirds to compete with bees, wasps, ants, orioles, woodpeckers, and other animals for access to the sugar water. Bees, wasps and ants can get trapped in some types of feeders and die inside which of course ruins the nectar.

Protecting the Health of Your Hummingbirds

Studies have shown the best formula for sugar water to be one cup of “white granulated sugar only” to four cups of water, mixed and placed into the feeder. The feeder should be emptied and washed with dish soap and hot water at least once per week, to prevent harmful bacteria build-up or soured sugar water.

For the health of your neighborhood hummingbirds, you should never use any raw sugars, brown sugar, powdered sugar, honey, or any additives in your sugar water mix. All contain other elements that will be to the detriment of any hummingbirds consuming these products.

Commercial “hummingbird food” products have not been studied at length, but early studies with laboratory animals indicate that preservatives, artificial flavors, and food coloring cause disease and premature mortality, when it is consumed in large amounts. So, it is strongly recommended that you do not add red food coloring to your sugar water mix.

Scientists also recommend that you do not need to buy any “hummingbird food” that has “additional nutrients” in it, because hummingbirds get all of the nutrients that they need in the insects that they eat.

Selecting a Good Hummingbird Feeder

There are a number of companies providing hummingbird feeders in the marketplace. But for the benefit of your neighborhood birds, you should try to keep an eye to finding a feeder that has certain features and benefits.

Remember, your local birds are competing with bees, wasps and ants for access to the food in your feeder. So, it is advantageous when you can find a feeder that is designed to restrict these insects from gaining access to the sugar water mix.

Most feeders have some red or orange colorations, because these colors attract hummingbirds. But, make sure that the feeders you buy do not have any yellow parts on the feeder itself, because bees are attracted to the color yellow. Even if you can block the bees from gaining access to the feeder, the yellow will attract the bees to the feeder, and the bees will frequently drive away the hummingbirds.

Make sure that any feeder you own does not leak sugar water onto the ground or the outside of the unit, because once again, you should desire to keep bees, wasps and other pests away from your feeders.

The point of a feeder is to attract the right kind of visitors, not the wrong kinds. If your hummingbird feeder attracts the wrong kind of visitor, the birds will have their feeding experience ruined, and you may be finding yourself wrestling with too many pests in your environment too.

About the Author:

Steve Peek is an ardent nature lover and a tinkerer. This combination has resulted in a unique, hand-crafted hummingbird feeder designed to ensure that bees and wasps do not ruin your hummingbird watching experience. Learn more about hummingbirds and our hummingbird feeder at our website: http://www.thehummingbirdstore.com.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Tips for Turning Your Backyard Into a Hummingbird Habitat

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