We always have a soft spot reserved for hummingbirds. When we lived in our apartments, hummingbirds were the only visitors we could invite, as the other birds would make too much of a mess for our downstairs neighbors. These little spirits, light, and quiet (well, relatively), always found our porch no matter where we lived in different cities. Now, we finally have our own garden and we can plant so many flowers alongside our hummingbird feeder to attract our little friends.
Did you know:
Hummingbirds don't just feed on nectar, they also eat small insects such as mosquitoes, gnats, mites, fruit flies, wasps, ants, aphids, beetles, and small spiders, which apparently is one of their favorites. They often catch insects in flight (hawking), take captives from spider webs, and snatch them off leaves or branches. A balanced diet is necessary for everyone!
Hummingbird goes into a hibernation-like deep sleep mode at night (called Torpor) to rest and preserve their energy. A hummingbird's daytime heartbeat rate is about 1250 times per minute, but while in the torpor state, its heart beats just 50 times a minute.
Hummingbirds can recognize humans and will fuss at you for being too lazy for leaving the feeder empty or dirty.
Hummingbirds have the largest brain among all the birds, proportion-wise. It takes about 4% of its body weight, whereas the human brain takes about 2%. They can remember every flower they visited, how long it takes for these flowers to restock their nectar, and many other important bits of information.
Hummingbirds have no sense of smell even though they have exceptional vision. Being able to perceive ultraviolet light, they could see every color that humans do and colors that we can never see.
Wildlife garden tips:
1. Plant native nectar-filled flowers. Besides red flowers, they also visit flowers with white, pink, orange, blue, and purple hues.
2. Eliminate pesticides
3. Use table sugar only with water in a 4:1 ratio. DO NOT use a color additive or honey to make nectar water for hummingbirds.
4. Clean your sugar water frequently especially in Summer heat.
Helpful Links:
What do Hummingbirds eat: https://www.thespruce.com/what-do-hummingbirds-eat-386568
More about the torpor state: https://hummingbirdbliss.com/hummingbird-slumber-the-secret-to-conserving-energy-at-night/
How to feed hummingbirds: https://www.hummingbirdsociety.org/feeding-hummingbirds/
Plants to attract hummingbirds https://www.thespruce.com/best-plants-to-attract-hummingbirds-to-your-yard-4767421
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