Hummingbirds For Mom

Archive for the ‘Hummingbirds’ Category

Hummingbird wings are quite different from that of other birds. The hummingbird rotates its wings differently then other birds. Slow motion video taken of birds indicates that most birds flap their wings up and down but the wings of the hummingbird actually move in a figure eight motion, which makes the hummingbird unique because this enables the hummingbird to be the only bird that has the ability of flying forward, as well as backwards, up, down, and sideways. The hummingbird also has another remarkable flying skill which is the ability to hover. As a result, the fight muscles of the hummingbird take up about 30% of the bird’s body.

A friend and I were recently talking about the very high temperatures and humidity that we commonly experience during the “dog days” of summer here in southeast Texas. We both remarked about how we hate this because it causes us to sweat a great deal. Each of us commented how the high heat and humidity is hard for us to stand and then our discussion turned to how the summer must be rough physically on a birds’ body and may even endanger its life.

My friend is well aware that I am a hummingbird enthusiast and as a result have a great deal of knowledge on the subject of hummingbirds. This provided me the perfect opportunity to share with my friend that birds do not sweat. This was an amazing fact to her and she wanted to know more about this issue.

Because birds do not sweat, excess heat is removed through the bird’s respiratory system. An extremely high body temperature may result in the bird’s respiratory rate increasing and this can sometimes result in the bird panting like a dog and this will result in the bird becoming dehydrated. If this occurs, a reliable source of water is necessary to ensure that the bird can replenish lost fluids.

Whenever I discover new interesting information about hummingbirds, I always look forward to sharing it with others, especially the readers of this blog. Those who know me are well aware of my love of hummingbirds and therefore they are usually interested in what my latest discovery on the subject of hummingbirds has been. This topic hopefully will be no different so I can share this knowledge further with others.

This is also the kind of information my mom would have enjoyed knowing as well and therefore as I write this post I cannot help but have thoughts of her running through my mind. Thanks mom for the love of hummingbirds that we shared! It continues to live and thrive within me and it is my passion to pass my knowledge of hummingbirds along to all who are interested.

Water is extremely important to all types of birds, regardless of if the birds are feeder visitors or not. By providing a dependable source of water to the birds you will accomplish many things. This post will discuss them.

By providing a dependable source of water for the birds you are likely to increase the wide variety of birds which will likely visit your yard. Having the source of water will also allow you to enjoy watching the birds preen, bathe and even drink because the birds will remain there longer then otherwise.

Having a dependable source of water available is also vital because bathing is so vital to birds. Bathing allows a way for the birds to properly maintain their feathers and therefore remain in the best possible condition for flight.

Also, having a source of water available helps enable the birds to properly regulate their body temperature. This is extremely vital because birds do not have the ability to sweat. Do you find that to be surprising? I myself do because I did not know this until doing research for this post. As a result of the fact that birds do not sweat, excess heat is removed through the bird’s respiratory system. If a bird’s body temperature rises to an extreme level this can cause the bird’s respiratory rate to increase and this will sometimes cause the bird to pant like a dog and thus cause the bird to be come dehydrated. If this occurs, a reliable source of water is necessary to ensure that the bird can replenish lost fluids.

Providing a fountain, mister or birdbath will not only allow you more time to enjoy watching all the birds which visit your yard, but it may also literally help safe a bird’s life one day.

The life of the hummingbird is not without challenges today. As human population and development is ever expanding, the hummingbird’s natural habitat is quickly decreasing in size, their breeding grounds are being lost and even their migration routs are changing.

The good news is that hummingbirds seem to be a favorite among gardeners and birdwatchers. The reason for this fondness may be due to the bird’s seer beauty or feisty nature. Regardless, hummingbirds are fortunate because they have developed the ability to adapt and find food in our gardens or at our hummingbird feeders.

My point is that often we humans are responsible for the loss of wildlife due to our destroying their habitat. Progress and development are often necessary in today’s society, but let’s each do what we can to try and ensure the survival of these birds. While no one has all the answers as to how to do this, there are simple things that we each can do to provide help to the hummingbirds. Each of us can plant flowers or plants which are known to attract hummingbirds and/or it is also easy to provide hummingbird feeders which will provide an alternate food source for the hummingbirds.

Just because you want to attract hummingbirds does not mean that you must have hummingbird feeders in your yard to accomplish this endeavor. The use of flowers and plants are a great natural way to attract hummingbirds to your yard. There are even some advantages to using flowers and plants rather then using hummingbird feeders. This post will explain why flowers are such an effective way to draw the hummingbirds to your yard.

Many people would say that caring for flowers is a far easier thing to do rather then caring for hummingbird feeders. Here are a few reasons why. The flowers are easier to manage then the feeders because the flowers do not require that you clean them or refill with nectar solution. Also, keep in mind that by planting flowers which are known to attract hummingbirds, you will be adding color and beauty to your yard as well as adding the pleasant aroma of these flowers to the air.

Flowers are also known to draw insects and spiders. These are sources of protein for the hummingbird and this is vital to the hummingbird’s survival because it cannot survive on nectar alone. Also, many flowers and plants depend on the hummingbird to pollinate it and without this assistance these flowers and plants would not be able to reproduce.

Do not feel guilty if you would rather draw the hummingbirds to your yard with flowers and plants instead of the use of hummingbird feeders. You are not alone in this choice and there are advantages to this choice. Regardless, you will still find that plenty of hummingbirds will visit your yard.