Interesting Facts About the Hummingbird

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I find these small birds fascinating. We have them in our yard every year. I decided to accumulate some facts and share them here. Here are a few: * Hummingbirds are smart and can remember every flower and feeder that they have visited, as well as how long it takes them to refill. * The Rufous hummingbird has the longest migration of any of the 366 species. This annual trek covers over 3,000 miles from Alaska and Canada to southern Mexico. * Of the 366 known species of hummingbirds they are all in either North or South America. * They eat more than twice their body weight in glucose daily. They can't store fat like warblers and other small birds because of their high metabolism. * Their natural nectar is clear and there is some debate that food coloring could harm these birds. Instead, make DIY nectar by boiling four parts of water mixed with one part of white sugar. This assures no added chemicals or food colors. Brown sugar and even honey go rancid faster and can make the hummingbird sick. The picture is from ceirzcus.blob.core.windows.net