How to Attract Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are found all over North and South America and the Caribbean. Known for their ability to hover and their unique ability to fly backwards, hummingbirds hover by flapping their wings at high speeds up to 80 times a second.

The Bee Hummingbird is the tiniest bird in the world at just 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 fastest metabolism of all birds and to keep going they must eat more than their own weight in food daily. To do this they must visit five hundred or more flowers a day to gather the nectar. They possess extended tongues and bills which allows them to reach deep into the blooms. They are able to decrease their metabolisms when at rest, unlike nearly all other high metabolism animals. This increases their natural life, which can be as long as seventeen years.

Making A Garden Friendly to the Hummingbirds

To attract hummingbirds to your garden you could plant brightly coloured flowers and shrubs. Hummingbirds have very little sense of smell but they are attracted to brilliant colours. Placing a feeder specially made for humming birds in your backyard or on your deck will catch the attention of these beautiful birds. Some annuals to plant include petunia, salvia, beard tongue, jacobinia, firespike and impatiens. Some perennial plants include hosta, hummingbird mint, cardinal flower, canna, bee balm and columbine. 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 eradicate insects and bugs that hummingbirds eat. They also leave residues on the flowers which the hummingbirds could swallow. Also provide a lot of places to perch as hummingbirds will spend in the region of eighty percent of their time perching on branches, twigs etc. Supply plants that will supply materials for nesting to attract the females. Hummingbirds choose downy nesting material from trees like willow and eucalyptus and from mosses, lichens and ferns.

Hanging brightly colored, hummingbird feeders in your garden will exert a pull on the hummingbirds. A good scheme is to attach red streamers that will blow around the feeder. It is also helpful to hang feeders at assorted heights as hummingbird species all have distinctive preferences. Species that prefer low growing plants will visit a feeder sited lower whereas species that feed on taller shrubs and plants will rather go to a feeder placed in a higher position. Hummingbirds are also very territorial and one hummingbird may perhaps defend a particular feeder and prevent others from feeding. Space no less than three feeders at different heights all around your garden.

Hummingbirds love a bath in the mist on leaves so you might place a mister near to some broadleaved shrubs to supply them with a bathing place.

Making Hummingbird Nectar

A sweet nectar can be made by mixing together a measure of sugar and 4 cups of pre-boiled water. Cool and keep in the refrigerator. Excess nectar can safely be stored for up to a week. Thoroughly clean hummingbird feeders every week by rinsing with a solution of one cup of vinegar to 4 cups of water and then rinsing out with plain water. Fill up with the sugar solution and hang out of the sun. Do not use synthetic sweeteners or food colouring. Also don’t use honey as it will ferment and produce a a poisonous fungus. Replace the nectar solution in the feeder every 3 days or oftener when the weather is hotter.

In Conclusion

It is easy to make a garden to appeal to these lovely birds. Provide them with the food they like and a comfortable setting and hummingbirds will come to your garden often.

More Information on feeding wild birds and some cheap bird feeders to buy at Garden Bird Feeders or Garden Garden Bird Feeders UK