Hummingbirds - Bird Talk.

[Muse]

There was one time that I got bees on the feeder. It was a different design of feeder and I threw it away. The ones I have now the only way to the liquid is through a very narrow tube so no other insect or bird can get to it. I have not really had a problem with the droppings The only problem I have had is it seems every time I try to record them eating they will poop. It is crazy to think that these things live off of sugar, and that is it. We have to eat some much of this and then less of that. These things eat pure sugar.

They would soon starve to death if all they ate was nectar or the sugar water that goes into HB feeders (8oz sugar to 32oz water). They need protein and get it by eating fruit flies. They pluck them right out of the air. They do NOT eat ants, that would kill them. Ants have exoskeletons that they can't digest.

 

[Muse]

I've never seen a hummingbird in the wild (I'm not sure if I've seen one in captivity tbh) and I'm very jealous! They are beautiful!

They are only in the western hemisphere, Alaska all the way through South America. Something like 360 species. Research reveals that they were in Europe many millions of years ago, fossil records, but there's none now although there are anecdotes. They are specious, there's zero evidence that they are anywhere but the continental Americas.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

There are about six or eight out there right now chasing each other around like they're all mad. That's more than I've seen all year. Makes me think it might be the young that have hatched and grown up enough to fly.

 

[BoomerD]

We've been awash in the feisty little buggers this past week. A dozen? 2 dozen? Not really sure, but sometimes it's like a swarm of BIG mosquitos...and they challenge ME if I get too close to their feeders.