| Before you create a hummingbird habitat in your | | | | up to the drive-in window at McDonalds and ordering |
| backyard, there are several important things you must | | | | 278 Big Macs just to get you through the day. |
| know, and do, to attract these beautiful creatures and | | | | Hummingbirds require this awesome intake of food |
| to protect them. The selection of a good hummingbird | | | | because of their metabolism. The Ruby throated |
| feeder, placement of the feeder, maintenance of the | | | | hummingbird, for example, is about 3 ½ inches |
| hummingbird feeder and choice of food can be critical, | | | | long and weighs 1/8 of an ounce. His body |
| both to your enjoyment of the hummingbirds and to | | | | temperature ranges between 105 degrees and 108 |
| their survival. I will cover each of these points, but first, | | | | degrees, F. In flight, his wings beat an average of 52 |
| allow me to give you a little information about the | | | | times per second. His respiration is 250 breaths per |
| hummingbirds themselves. | | | | minute and his heart rate is an incredible 1200 beats a |
| How many types of hummingbirds are there? | | | | minute when he is feeding. Hummingbird's lives are |
| There are more than 10,000 species of birds in the | | | | spent on the very edge of survival. One day of bad |
| world. About 925 of those species have been counted | | | | weather or difficulty finding food can mean the end for |
| in the U. S. and Canada. Of all the birds living in our part | | | | them. |
| of the world, few are as interesting, as fascinating, or | | | | How important is your hummingbird feeder? |
| as beautiful as the hummingbird. There are 16 species | | | | With this information in mind you can see how |
| of hummingbirds breeding regularly in the United States | | | | important your backyard hummingbird feeder can be. |
| and another half dozen Mexican or Caribbean species | | | | The growth of cities and urban development is |
| that have been reported here. | | | | constantly reducing the hummingbird's natural habitat. A |
| A typical North American hummingbird like the Rufous | | | | well designed, well placed feeder improves their |
| hummingbird measures between 3.5 to 4 inches and | | | | chances of survival and provides you with countless |
| weighs in at about 3 grams (1/10 of an ounce). This | | | | hours of entertainment. |
| makes him/her a heavyweight compared to the Bee | | | | As small and fragile as hummingbirds are, they have |
| hummingbird which is typically 2 inches long and | | | | surprisingly long life spans. Many hummingbirds do not |
| normally weighs 1.8 grams (6/100 of an ounce). The | | | | survive their first year, but those that do, live an |
| Bee hummingbird is frequently mistaken for an insect | | | | average of 3 to 4 years. One female broadtailed |
| by casual viewers. | | | | hummingbird was tagged, released, and recaptured 12 |
| How much do hummingbirds eat? | | | | years later. A Rufous hummingbird was banded and |
| What is not small about hummingbirds is their appetite. | | | | reported alive after 8 years and 1 month. As these |
| Hummingbirds consume between 3 1/8 and 7 ½ | | | | migratory birds tend to return year after year, they will |
| calories a day. To put it into human terms, that equates | | | | soon become old friends that will provide hour after |
| to roughly 155,000 calories per day. Just imagine pulling | | | | hour of viewing pleasure. |