Hummers capture imagination

a birder’s

eye view

By Brad McBee

Perhaps no other bird captures the imagination like that of a hummingbird. Beating their wings some 60-80 times a second, hummingbirds can move in any direction or just stand still in the air. 

Their heart rate is also through the roof and has been measured at up to 1,263 beats per-minute. At night they enter “torpor” a hibernation-like state which permits their heart rate to drop to 50 beats a minute to conserve energy.

Hummingbirds occur only in the New World. The smallest is the size of a bumblebee and the largest about the size of a Robin. Of the some 360 species, 17 have been spotted in Texas, but only eight are regulars. 

Some of these just pass through on their way to somewhere else; others are seen in limited areas. In my backyard the species that I have viewed is the Black-chinned hummingbird. 

The black-chinned is very similar in size and appearance to the ruby-throated hummingbird found in eastern Texas and in Ohio and West Virginia where I grew up. The main difference is the throat color of the males. The females are almost identical. 

Hummers may visit over 1,000 flowers in a day. The best way to attract them to one’s yard is to have plenty of flowers, but a feeder or two will also attract them.

Feeders should always be kept clean. Wash them in mild detergent and rinse them well. The feeding solution should be made of one-part white sugar and four-parts water. Never use brown sugar or food color in your feeders. 

I boil my water/sugar solution to make sure it is well-dissolved and only place in the feeders when it is cooled. Extra solution can be refrigerated for a week. Feeders should be cleaned and refilled with solution every couple of days. Never allow mold to grow in your feeders. If ants are a problem, try rubbing the feeder’s pole or hanging wire with chalk.

I hope you can attract some hummers to your yard and enjoy these wonderful creations of God.

(If you have an interesting bird sighting or story, please contact me at: pastorbrad@ymail.com).