Hummingbird Facts - Stuff That I Didn't Know UPDATED

[OldGuy43]

You know, now that I think about it, I read somewhere that our hummers here don't migrate. I wonder if that's true? I will have to check it out further.

It's quite possible that they don't: Anna's Hummingbirds, (Calypte anna) are a common resident in inland California and don't migrate.

Lucky you.

 

[DigginWithJon]

I cant wait till these guys return. Great FACTS!

 

[skeeter9]

I'm pretty sure that most of ours are Anna's, but I know we have some others, too.

 

[BackerBunch]

Thank you for sharing that info, OldGuy43. I had no idea hummingbirds could live so long!

 

[OldGuy43]

Well, I bought a new feeder because my old one cracked last fall and all the stuff kept leaking out. I've been putting off putting it out because I thought it was to cold for them. It appears I was wrong. They probably started arriving here about mid-March.

http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

 

[OldGuy43]

Yep, I was wrong. Two of my little feathered friends have already shown up.

 

[so lucky]

Lucky you! Mine usually show up around April 15. I often buy a blooming hanging plant, like a red petunia to put near the feeder, to kind of attract the hummers. (I don't ever have anything already blooming that early) I read once that you could put a big cutout of a simple flower, out of red fabric, on your lawn, to catch the attention of the hummers that are flying over.

 

[rebbetzin]

Here in San Diego we're fortunate to have the only year round hummingbird, the Annas Hummingbird. We get rubythroats in the Summer but they migrate out in Winter. Actually late Winter through early Spring is the best time of year for our native hummingbirds. During and right after our rainy season is when the wildflowers bloom here.

Here in Tucson, we have Ruby Throats that stay around all year long. We have about 10 of them at the moment. Since there are several of us in the neighborhood that have feeders out, they just stay around all the time.

 

[897tgigvib]

I only rarely see Hummingbirds at my part of the lake but a mile south there are about a dozen Ruby Throateds. They don't come to the denser part of the forest much, but they seem to love the more open mainly Oak parts.

Does anyone notice some kinds of "bee" trying to take over their hummingbird feeders?

 

[OldGuy43]

Just found another interesting fact; Hummingbirds, even of the same species do not all migrate at once. Apparently, each bird has, built into its genetic makeup a timer that tells it when it should migrate. It's believed that this is a survival trait to insure that large storms or other inclement weather doesn't wipe out the entire flock.

:bee