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Ruby-throated hummingbirdsare the only hummingbirds to

nest east of the Mississippi. Infact, you can find them in allstates in the eastern half of theU.S. and all Canadian provincesexcept British Columbia.

Plus, they are the only ones thatnormally migrate, non-stop, 600miles across the Gulf of Mexico.This feat requires extra energy,which the birds obtain by storingfat, increasing their preflightweight by 50 percent. They winterin Mexico and Central America.Migration northward normallybegins in February and the returnin late July.

Because they are so active,hummingbirds have high calorieneeds. Their rapid flight is similarto insects and unique to birds.Instead of having wings withseveral moveable joints, they haveonly one joint, at the shoulder. Thispermits them to fly with moreflexibility, with their upstroke justas powerful as their down stroke.They can hover and fly forward andbackward.

For many of us, the hard workthat goes into creating and

maintaining our wildscapes andflower gardens pays off when weare able to attract hummingbirdsand observe them.

There are two ways to attractthem to your property – plantflowers, shrubs, and trees thatproduce nectar over a long periodof time, or put out sugar waterfeeders.

The wildflowers that seem toattract the most hummingbirdsare red or orange. They includeblanket flower, butterfly weed,Indian blanket or paintbrush, redcorn poppy, sweet William, swampmilkweed, wild columbine, and beebalm.

In the flower beds the favoritesare begonia, cardinal flower, coralbells, dahlia, fuchsia, geranium,impatiens, foxglove, nasturtium,snapdragon, scarlet sage, petuniaand verbena. Azalea, lilac,rhododendron, weigela, butterflybush, and honeysuckle are theirfavorite shrubs. Floweringcrabapple, hawthorn, and locustappear to be their favorite trees.

But, without a doubt, trumpetvine is their favorite source for

Gardeners would probably put hummingbirds near the topof the list of wildlife they would like to attract to theirbackyards. Not only do the tiny birds complement thebeauty of the flowers, they are fascinating to watch.

Hummingbirds

Will Return If YouProvide Food

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WindStar Wildlife Institute is anational, non-profit, conservation

organization whose mission is to helpindividuals and families establish orimprove the wildlife habitat on their

properties.

For more information or for the nameof a Master Wildlife Habitat

Naturalist in your area, pleasecontact:

WindStar Wildlife Institute

E-mail: wildlife@windstar.orghttp://www.windstar.org

both nectar and insects. Itproduces reddish, tubular flowersthat can be reached easily.

Unlike butterflies, whichnormally take five seconds ormore per blossom, thehummingbird is there for only afraction of this time. As it hovers,it pushes its bill into the floralopening and sticks out its longtongue, folded like a tube. Nectarand insects are held in this “tube"and swallowed when the tongue isreturned to the mouth. Thehummingbird provides a service tothe flowers by helping to pollinatethem.

You can get close tohummingbirds if you are patientand let the birds get used to you.First, sit 20 to 30 ft. away whenthey are feeding. Gradually moveyour chair closer to them, a fewfeet each day. You might be luckyenough to end up observing themat a distance of only a few feet.

Sugar water feeders are agodsend, especially when natural

Maintaining Hummingbird Feeders

You must maintain your feeder so it isn’t a health hazard forhummingbirds. We suggest the following:

s Feed sugar water – four parts water and one part sugar. Whenpreparing the mix, dissolve the sugar by simply bringing it to a boil.Don’t let it boil, as it will make the mixture too sweet. Do not useanything other than sugar to sweeten.

s Don’t hang your feeder in direct sunlight, as it acceleratesbacteria growth.

s Clean the feeder regularly – at least every few days. If the weatheris hot the mixture can spoil, producing a life-threatening fungus.

s Don’t add red color to your mixture. Just make sure that someparts of your feeder are red.

s If you also want to attract orioles, make sure your feeder hasperches.

s Take down your feeder when you’re sure all the birds have migratedand are no longer in your area. This is probably in September orOctober, depending on where you live.

Did You Know.s Hummingbirds must feed every

10 minutes during the day. Thebirds also need protein, whichthey get from eating insects.They prefer red or orange flowersthat produce lots of nectar overa long period of time.

s Their wings beat up to 80 timesa second in forward flight and200 times in dives. Normalforward flight speed is 25 to 30mph, but they can reach speedsof 50 mph.

s At night when they are notfeeding, they slow theirmetabolism by reducing their

food is in short supply. A singlefeeder can provide food for dozensof birds. The number ofhummingbirds appears to beincreasing wherever they haveaccess to this supplemental foodsupply. But, the overall populationis threatened by the destructionof rain forests where they winter inMexico and Central America.

heartbeatfrom 1,260beats per minute(21 beats per second) down to50 beats per minute.

s The typical nest is only 1-1/2inches in diameter. It is madefrom plant down and is heldtogether with spider webs.Nests are built on the tops oftree limbs, on vines, on hangingrope and sometimes on lightfixtures. The nest is usuallyplaced under some type ofshelter.

s Hummingbirds usually lay twoor three eggs which are so tinythey all would fit on a penny.Eggs hatch in 15 to 17 days.The birds stay in the nestabout three weeks.

s The birds have few enemies.Males will take on other birds,squirrels, cats, dogs, and evenpeople, in defending their nestand mates. Their fast speedand long, sharp bill makesthem a formidable opponent.Their worst natural threatsare extreme weatherconditions such as cold,lengthy periods of rain, dryweather that dries up theflowers as a food source, andstorms.