MONTGOMERY-Hummingbirds are a backyard favorite for many people. These small agile birds have hearts that beat 225 times per minute while at rest and more than 1,200 times per minute while flying. To give some reference, the average human adult (18 years and older) has a resting heart rate of only 60 to 100 times per minute! Did you know that hummingbirds are also the only vertebrates that can hover, and fly backwards and upside-down, with their wings beating 70 times per second in normal flight and up to 200 times per second while diving. This high energy lifestyle causes hummingbirds to constantly seek out reliable food resources, and as more areas become urbanized, the flowers that hummingbirds typically search for are harder to find.
The good news is that by filling your yard with native flowering plants, vines, shrubs, and trees, you can create a healthy yard that will attract these hungry hummingbirds. As nectar specialists, evident by their long bills and grooved tongues, 90% of their diet is made up of sugary nectar. To a hummingbird, there is nothing better than finding a native nectar supplying plant! A few native plants that you can introduce into your yard include trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans), pink azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides), red buckeye (Aesculus pavia), and coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens). Nectar can also be supplied through sugar water made by mixing four parts hot water and one-part sugar – no red food coloring needed! Hummingbirds do not need the sugar solution to be red, however the feeder itself should have some red on it. In addition, feeders need to be monitored throughout the summer. As the Alabama heat beats down on feeders the solution can spoil, and bacteria can grow. It is best to clean them at least once a week using a diluted bleach solution (one-part bleach to ten parts water). As the summer comes to an end, remember keep your feeders up! Your feeders will be a vital food source for straggling migrants and you might even encounter a western species. For more information on hummingbirds, visit the Watchable Wildlife page on our website.
Media Release/Outdoor Alabama
