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Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are very small birds with a high metabolism. A great deal of energy is spent flying, so they must feed almost constantly. Hummingbirds can consume up to 50% of their weight in sugar (nectar solution) each day. They usually feed on nectar and insects. Hummingbirds actually lap up the nectar with their tongues. A lot of people think that hummingbirds have a hollow tongue like a straw. Their tongues do have grooves on the sides that collect nectar. When the bill constricts, the hummingbird can swallow the nectar from flowers and feeders.

The greatest diversity of hummingbird species is the neotropics (New World tropics) but many species live in or migrate to temperate zones in the United States and Canada to breed. Sometimes, for reasons that are not entirely clear, individual birds remain behind for the winter, and sometimes, they survive. Thus, as average seasonal temperatures increase, hummingbirds are increasingly becoming established as year-round residents outside of their traditional ranges. Anna’s Hummingbird is one species whose range has expanded steadily northward as seasonal temperatures have become milder. Thus, this bird is now a common year-round resident along the northwestern coast of the United States and even into some parts of Canada.

At least 53 species of North American birds drink nectar—the naturally occurring sweet liquid produced by plants. Hummingbirds and orioles are the main nectar drinkers, but mockingbirds, grosbeaks, tanagers, and several warblers also enjoy sweet drinks from flowers and tree sap. Nectar tempts birds to poke their beaks into flowers where they inadvertently pick up pollen and carry it to neighboring flowers. This cross-pollination keeps plants vital by preventing inbreeding. Nectar drinkers also benefit from eating protein-rich insects and drinking the high calorie nectar.

Hummingbird feeding for most North Americans is purely a summertime activity. The first hummingbirds generally arrive in the north just as the flowers begin to bloom in late spring. And these energetic little gems generally disappear long before the last of the leaves drop, seeking warmer climates with year-round nectar supplies. But many Feeder Watchers, particularly in the southeast, may want to resist the urge to pack away their nectar feeders when the pumpkins arrive.

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