Have you seen the Hummingbirds yet???

By the middle of April the hummingbird migration

is into Ohio, Indiana and Illinois!!!

 

The Keys to Attracting Hummingbirds are to provide Food, Help for Nesting, and Misters (Water) for them to fly through.

The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is often found between woodland and meadow.  However, it has adapted well to human development, but only if there is shelter, space and food.  Thus, it is frequently seen in suburban backyards with mature trees and shrubs, in wooded parks, and around farmsteads.

Hummingbirds are extremely loyal to feeding sites.  A hummingbird that feeds in your yard one year will return to that feeder the next.  As the male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is so territorial, one key is to offer a lot of feeders.  No matter what kind of feeders you decide to use, remember the two Golden Rules:  Keep the feeder clean and the nectar fresh.  Hummingbirds keep their distance from fermented nectar.  Perhaps hummers understand that they need a clear head for their acrobatic flying.  Fermented nectar can support the growth of deadly molds.  If a hummingbird gets a taste of fermented nectar from your feeder, it will look elsewhere for a drink and remain suspicious of the offending feeder for a long time.

A hummingbird nest in not much bigger than a quarter, and often it contains just 2-3 eggs no bigger than small peas.  It’s typically hard to see, as it blends in well to the tree branch it’s attached to, and is made of fine animal or plant down and moss or lichens. 

Hummingbirds, like many birds, need and are attracted to water.

Fun Facts about the Hummingbird

*Hummingbirds beat their wings about 78 times per second.  During a display dive, their wings can beat up to 200 times per second.

*They take about 250 breaths per minute.

*Their hearts beat about 1,260 times per minute.

*They have 1,500 feathers.

*They consume half their body weight (1/8 lb.) in food every day.  That would be like an average kid eating about 40 to 50 pounds of food a day.

*During migration, they must fly 500 miles nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico to reach their wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America.  To make the trip, they must eat enough so they weigh 1 ½ times their usual weight.

*They can fly at speeds of 60 miles per hour and can fly forwards, backwards, up, down, sideways, and even upside down briefly, but they can’t walk.

*Average life span is 3-5 Years, Maximum 12 Years.

Create your “Hummingbird Haven” today!!!  Stop by Prairie’s Edge to see what we have to offer for feeders and nesting helpers!!!!