Hummers perusing gardens after incredible flight

I tried hard not to flinch as I heard the loud, buzzy hum coming from somewhere behind my ear. I kept as still as possible, trying to ignore visions of huge, angry bees my imagination insisted on conjuring up.

It wasn’t a bee, of course, but one of my favorite birds of all time – a ruby-throated hummingbird. The diminutive dynamo was hovering in the air, investigating me. Occasionally it would zoom in for a closer look, and the signature humming sound made by its rapidly whirring wings – which can beat up to 200 times per second – became even louder. Eventually it decided I was harmless, and flew around me to get at the sugar-water feeder I had hanging by my door.

There are 341 species of hummingbirds existing in the world today, all in the Western Hemisphere. Most live in the equatorial rain forests of Colombia and Ecuador. Only 15 species breed in the United States, and only one – the ruby-throated – breeds east of the Mississippi. How lucky we are to have these jeweled treasures visit us each spring and summer.

Our ruby-throat migrates from Central America to southern Canada and the eastern United States each spring, and retraces its route in the fall. If this seems incredible, consider that its route takes it across the Gulf of Mexico – a nonstop flight of more than 500 miles. It accomplishes this feat by adding 40 to 50 percent of fat to its body weight just before its trip.

Day-to-day food requirements are no slight matter, either. Hummingbirds have an extremely high metabolism and need to consume between 6,000 and 12,000 calories per day to stay alive. The greatest source of energy – about 70 percent – is supplied by flower nectar. Flowers such as bee balm, honeysuckle, fuchsia, impatiens, red salvia, azaleas and petunias are rich with this source of food. Hummers will frequently visit feeders, as these will often be a more constant source of food than blooms. However, a few words of caution when providing feeders.

The standard measurement when making up a batch of sugar water is four parts water to one part sugar. Bring the solution to a boil, and then remove from heat. Feeders should be disinfected each time you change the solution – every one to two days in very hot weather. Never use honey, as this may produce fungal infections in hummers.

Commercial nectar mixes are more expensive than a carton of sugar, and often contain potentially harmful additives such as food coloring. It is not known what effect this has on a hummer’s physiology. The red base or body of the feeder is enough to attract them – I have never used red food coloring in my sugar water, and the hummers still flock to my feeders.

Chris Corio is a volunteer at Fields Pond Nature Center and can be reached at fieldspond@juno.com.