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| Male Ruby-throated hummingbird (click to enlarge) |
The Hummers Are Coming No…not
those monstrous vehicles on the road…Hummingbirds! It’s time to get out your hummingbird feeders,
get them filled and ready to hang. Check out the 2009 Hummingbird Migration Map at www.hummingbirds.net/map.html It shows daily where hummingbirds have been reported in the
United States and Canada. As of publication hummingbirds are reported just into Illinois and
Michigan. Ruby-Throated
hummingbirds(the species most common to most of the US) winter between southern Mexico and northern Panama. The
migration north can begin as early as January. Some birds skirt the coastlines or island hop, but others
take a 500 mile non-stop trip across the Gulf of Mexico lasting 15-22 hours. They can lose more than half
their body weight during the flight. Hummingbirds do not travel in a flock of their own kind.
They may travel with other birds but do not hitchhike on the backs of birds as legend tells it. The
male birds leave for the north about 10 days before the female birds start to leave. The migration is staggered,
with birds leaving and arriving over a period of three months. After reaching North America they travel
approximately 20 miles a day. If
you have never had a hummingbird feeder I strongly encourage you to give it a try. It is very important
to keep the feeder clean, but the rewards are well worth it. Hummers are beautiful, acrobatic and feisty!
They are the center of attention during patio parties and family cookouts. Feeding hummingbirds
is simple and inexpensive. A solution of 1 part sugar to 4 parts boiling water is all that is required.
No need to add red food coloring. Be sure to allow the solution to cool before adding it to the
feeder. Store any leftover solution in the refrigerator. Another great website with
lots of information and recommendations on feeder types is www.hummingbirdworld.com Take the plunge, put out a feeder and enjoy watching
earth’s “flying jewels”. Bird
Sightings
A reader from Auburn Hills, MI reported robins on March 11. They showed up here in Madison,
WI on the same day with the red-wing blackbirds appearing two days later on March 13.
I would love
to hear about your backyard observations.
Use the form below to send a comment or question.
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Hummingbird Facts Wing
speed is 80 beats per second Heart rate 1260 beats per minute Eats insects
as well as nectar There are 343 species of hummingbirds the Western hemisphere’s second largest family of birds Flight
speed 25-30 mph and diving speeds of 60 mph Can migrate 2000 miles between Panama and Canada
Songbird
Migration
A new researchers report in Journal Science estimates that little songbirds cover
more than 300 miles a day during migration. They previously had thought they only went about 90 miles. Bridget
Stutchbury, professor of biology at York University in Toronto says, "The migration was surprisingly fast, to have a
bird leave Brazil on April 12 and be home by the end of the month was just asounding."
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