How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden

Hummingbirds can be found all through the Americas including the Caribbean. Recognized for their hovering ability and their skill at flying backwards, hummingbirds hover by flapping their wings at speeds as fast as 80 times a second.

The Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world at only 2 grams in weight and two inches long. The Giant Hummingbird is the largest hummingbird at around eight inches long and weighing about 25 grams. Hummingbirds have the fastest metabolism of any birds and to maintain this they need to eat in excess of their own weight in food daily. To do this they have to visit hundreds flowers each day to collect the nectar. They possess extended tongues and bills to reach deep into the flowers. They have the ability slow down their metabolisms when resting, unlike the majority of other high metabolism animals. This lengthens their lifespan, which can be as long as 17 years.

Making A Garden Friendly to the Hummingbirds

To draw hummingbirds to your garden plant brightly colored flowers and shrubs. The sense of smell of Hummingbirds is very poor but they are attracted to intense colours. Hanging a hummingbird feeder in your garden or on your terrace will be a focus for these lovely birds. Annuals to plant include jacobinia, salvia, beard tongue, jewelweed, impatiens and petunia. Some perennial plants include bee balm, costa, yucca, canna, lupine, cardinal flower and foxglove. For bushes and trees pick weigela, mimosa, red buckeye, buddleia, lantana and acanthus.

Don’t use pesticides in your garden as this will destroy insects and bugs that hummingbirds eat. They will also leave deposits on the blooms which the hummingbirds may consume. Also supply a lot of perching places as hummingbirds will spend about eighty percent of the time resting on twigs, clothes lines etc. Supply plants that will provide materials for nesting to catch the attention of the females. They prefer downy nesting material from trees like willow and eucalyptus and from lichens and mosses.

Placing vibrantly colored, speciality feeders in your backyard will exert a pull on the hummingbirds. A good suggestion is to attach red ribbons that move in the wind around the feeder. It’s also a good idea to hang feeders at assorted heights as hummingbird species all have distinctive preferences. Species that favor low growing plants will go to a feeder sited lower whereas species that feed on taller flowers and shrubs will choose to visit a feeder positioned higher. Hummingbirds are also very territorial and one hummingbird may perhaps guard a single feeder and stop others from coming near. Put at least three feeders at various heights all around your backyard.

Hummingbirds love to bathe in the mist on plants so you could position a mister close to some broadleaved vegetation to supply them with a place to bathe.

A Method of Making Hummingbird Nectar

A sweet nectar can be made by blending together one measure of sugar and four cups of pre-boiled water. Cool down then keep in the fridge. Excess nectar can safely be stored for up to a week. Scrupulously clean hummingbird feeders once a week by rinsing with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar to four cups of water and then washing out with clean water. Fill with the sugar solution and hang in the shade. Don’t use sweeteners or food coloring. Also don’t use honey as it can ferment and be the source of a fungus that is harmful. Change the solution in your feeder every two or three days or more often in hotter weather.

Conclusion

It’s not hard to make a garden that will attract these beautiful birds. Provide them with the food they love and a secure location and hummingbirds will pay a visit 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