By now you may have noticed increased activity around your hummingbird feeders. That’s because by August and September, millions of hummingbirds begin to make their long journey south, and what a journey it is!
Hummingbirds travel upwards of 500 miles to reach their winter homes in Mexico and other Central American countries. To prepare for this voyage over land and water, they tank up on nectar from flowers and feeders in order to gain 25-40% of their body weight.
Help your hummingbirds fuel up for their journey by offering multiple feeders in your backyard. Attract even more hummers by hanging red feeders, like our Red Faceted Glass Hummingbird Feeder. The color red acts like a magnet to them.
It is extremely important to keep your nectar fresh and your feeders clean so your hummingbirds stay healthy. Mold and mildew on a feeder or spoiled nectar throws off a hummingbird’s guidance system. Since a hummingbird beats its wings on average about 80 times per second, their ability to stay in total control is critical.
If you’re curious about how many hummingbirds are coming to your yard, most experts say to multiply 5 times the number of hummingbirds you can see feeding in the yard at any one time. That means if you see 20 hummingbirds at one time, you have upwards of 100 in your yard that day! Note that when migration is at its zenith, many studies show that often each late summer day your yard is home to a completely new group of hummers passing through.
We hope you enjoy the final glimpse of hummingbirds in summer 2016 and that your Schrodt Hummingbird Feeders see many happy returns in Spring 2017!
