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Common names: More than a dozen species of hummingbirds summer in North America; ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris), black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri), Anna’s (Calypte anna) and rufous (Selasphorus rufus) are the most common in yards.
Distribution: If you live in the East, especially toward the North, ruby-throated hummers are the most common, and probably the only, hummingbird you’ll see (male shown here). Species diversity improves west of the Mississippi river, where you’ll spot black-chinned, Anna’s, rufous and at least eight other species.
Habitat: Hummingbirds are found in many kinds of habitats. They are least likely to be found in dense forests and tend to stick to more open landscapes. The ones highlighted here are common in yards in their ranges.
At the feeder pictured here, in Sierra Vista, Arizona, there is, from left, a male black-chinned, a male Lucifer and two female black-chinned hummingbirds. This shot is neat not only because it shows some species diversity, but because male hummingbirds tend to be really territorial, so it is rare to see two males sharing the same feeder.
Hummingbirds, despite their diminutive size, often have extensive migrations. The rufous hummingbird, pictured here, makes one of the longest migration routes of any bird relative to its size. According to All About Birds, “at just over 3 inches long, its roughly 3,900-mile movement (one-way) from Alaska to Mexico is equivalent to 78,470,000 body lengths.”
Their annual routes vary by species and region, and some early data from eBird even suggests that migration routes can change from season to season. The variability may increase as we see shifts in climate that affect seasonal habitat changes and resource availability.
The iridescent throat patch of male hummingbirds is called a gorget. The gorget ofAnna’s hummingbird, seen here, extends over its head. These two images were taken of the same male Anna’s hummingbird 20 seconds apart, demonstrating how the viewing angle affects the appearance of the iridescent gorget feathers.
These tiny but hardy birds rely on nectar as their primary food source, but some species also eat insects. The ruby-throated hummingbird (female shown here) catches insects such as mosquitoes, gnats, fruit flies and small bees in midair or harvests them from spiderwebs. The regular food source of these birds is nectar from native plants specific to the regions in which they forage, breed, migrate and overwinter.
Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar
The sugar solution should be an easy homemade mix of ¼ cup of standard white sugar per 1 cup of water. Honey, raw sugar or other forms of sweetener should not be used. Also, do not add red coloring. If you purchase a feeding solution in the store, avoid those that have added ingredients or dyes. This is to minimize the amount of unnecessary additives in hummingbirds’ diets.
Shown: Ruby-throated females
Photo by rainy city
Following these feeding steps will allow you to provide an excellent supplement to the flowering nectar plants and insects in your garden. If maintenance of the feeder is too involved, it’s better to take the feeder down than neglect changing the solution or avoiding cleaning, as feeders may spread disease.
When newly built, the nest is a compact, deep cup constructed of plant down, spider silk, lichens and cocoon fibers. As the nestlings grow, the nest stretches into a wider, shallower cup. Nests in cooler areas are thicker-walled than nests in warmer areas.
Shown: Female rufous on a nest
YardMap is a citizen science project developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, designed to cultivate a richer understanding of bird habitat, for both professional scientists and people concerned with their local environment. Thousands of people are documenting their conservation efforts at home to support birds and other wildlife in their yards.
More: Create a Container Wildlife Habitat for Hummingbirds and Butterflies
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