| Q: |
When should I hang my feeder? |
| A: |
Watch the migration
map. Check the previous years' maps, too.
 |
| Q: |
Why don't I have any hummingbirds? |
| A: |
Please don't ask me to guess. Hummingbirds may not use feeders much during nesting season, or when favored wildflowers are blooming. According to the annual Breeding Bird Surveys, all North American hummingbird species except Rufous have stable or increasing populations, though their local distribution may vary from year to year.
|
| Q: |
What should I put in my feeder? Should
I add red dye? What about ants and bees? |
| A: |
The answers are on the Feeders
page.
|
| Q: |
How long before the eggs hatch? |
| A: |
2 to 3 weeks. The chicks will leave the
nest about 3 weeks later.
|
| Q: |
Help! I found an injured / orphaned hummer. |
| A: |
See this
page, this
page, and
this page.
|
| Q: |
A hummingbird is trapped in my garage! |
| A: |
Try this rescue
technique.
|
| Q: |
If I hang a hummingbird feeder next to my finch feeder, will it cause a problem? |
| A: |
Probably not. If there's a conflict, just move one of them.
|
| Q: |
Do hummers reuse nests? If not, I'd like to keep one. |
| A: |
Some hens reuse them. But collecting bird nests is illegal without a Federal permit.
|
| Q: |
How fast do hummingbirds flap their wings? |
| A: |
For small hummers like Ruby-throated,
about 55 times per second. Normal flight speed is about 25
MPH.
|
| Q: |
How long do hummingbirds live? |
| A: |
About 4 years on average. The record is
12.
|
| Q: |
Do hummingbirds migrate on the backs of
geese? |
| A: |
In a word, no.
|
| Q: |
Did I see a baby hummingbird? It was very
small and had stripes/spots/antennae. |
| A: |
It was a moth. See pictures here
and here.
|
| Q: |
Why are my hummers so hateful? All they
do is fight. |
| A: |
They are extremely territorial. More feeders,
out of sight of each other, can help.
|
| Q: |
Do you have plans for a hummer house? |
| A: |
Hummers won't use a house.
|
| Q: |
When should I take my feeder down? |
| A: |
Hummingbirds migrate
in response to changing length of daylight, not the availability
of food.
|
| Q: |
I need replacement parts for my Perky-Pet
feeder. |
| A: |
Try Perky-Pet's website.
|
| Q: |
Can I tell how many hummers I have by the amount of syrup they consume? |
| A: |
Not with wild hummingbirds, because you can't know how much they're eating elsewhere. Instead, just count the most you can see at once, then multiply by four. That's as accurate as any other method. |
