Broad-tailed hummers arrived in Santa Fe the week of March 16th, 2020. Now is the time to put your hummingbird feeders up or get a new hummingbird feeder. The nectar recipe is: 4 parts water to 1 part plain white sugar--no red dye. Boil, cool and replace every 3 or 4 days whether the nectar is gone or not. What we do is make a quart or so of it at a time and refrigerate it--this makes it easier to replace the nectar frequently.
Hummingbirds
Jewels of Nature
Hummingbirds differ from other birds in a variety of ways. They have weak feet and legs that are used more for perching than walking. They are most comfortable in the air, and they are capable of hovering as well as flying up, down, forward and backward.
According to research, hummingbirds hold the record for possessing the fastest metabolism of any animal on the planet. Hummingbirds can consume up to twice their body weight in nectar every day. In order to accomplish this amazing feat, hummingbirds’ bills and tongues have evolved into incredibly efficient feeding tools.
Despite popular belief, hummingbirds do not suck up nectar with their bills. They actually lap it up with their tongues. While dipping their grooved tongues into nectar sources at up to 12 times a second, the nectar is drawn up and into their mouth each and every time. You can see this remarkable tongue in action with our WBU® Hummingbird Feeder. It features a transparent bottom that allows you to see a hummingbird’s long tongue and rapid lapping action.
Hummingbird nests are made of plant down, glued together with spider webs and tree sap. These nests are usually located on pencil-sized limbs and are camouflaged with bits of lichen.
Female hummingbirds raise their young alone. Due to the males’ extremely aggressive territorial behavior, females will establish a nesting area outside of the males’ feeding territory.
In stock hummingbird feeders
These are the hummingbird feeders we sell in the store. We have sold many different kinds of hummingbird feeders over the years and have learned that these are the most bird-friendly feeders on the market. Don't forget to add ant traps, brushes, nectar bottles and nectar.