Lesson 1: THE SECRETS TO ATTRACTING BACKYARD HUMMINGBIRDS
Welcome to "Attracting Backyard Hummingbirds." In this lesson, you will learn the most fascinating facts about hummingbirds, the best type of feeders to purchase, and the best places to hang feeders in your yard to keep the hummingbirds safe and visiting season after season!
WHY ATTRACT BACKYARD HUMMINGBIRDS?
If you find hummingbirds in your yard, you will be the envy of your neighbors, and they'll wonder how you do it! Hummingbirds are the most fascinating birds on the planet precisely because they don't fly like birds at all! Hummingbird flight is more akin to insect flight than the flight of other birds. Hummers can fly in all directions and can hover in place, something no other bird can do! To learn more about hummingbird anatomy and flight, see my book, "Hummingbirds: Jewels On Air."
Watching magical hummingbird flight is enough to entertain you for hours, but their gorgeous colors are also a source of fascination. Their feathers are iridescent, and when they catch the sunlight, the color can change entirely – similar to the rainbow you see in a soap bubble. This is especially true of the throat (called the gorget) of male hummingbirds. Many a birdwatcher has waited patiently for that thrilling flash of color as the bird turns its head. John James Audubon called hummingbirds "glittering fragments of the rainbow." This male violet-bellied hummingbird is a South American species, but he is indicative of the brightly colored feathers of hummers. (Copyright Melanie Votaw)
Additionally, hummingbirds are tiny warriors, and their battles with one another are very entertaining. They never hurt each other, but their fierce territorial nature causes them to chase other hummers (and sometimes even bees) away from their precious food sources. At times, you may hear a crash in the air as they slam into each other. Just a few days out of the nest, in fact, baby hummingbirds will begin to exhibit aggression when the situation calls for it. This is especially comical considering that most full-grown hummingbirds are no taller than a woman's pinkie finger. Of course, they try to deter intruders before battle with twitters and cheeps. Hummingbirds aren’t songbirds, but each species has its own distinct sound that can be quite amusing when they become irritated.
If all of this weren't enough, hummingbirds pollinate plants and help with insect control by eating many small insects in your yard.
