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Hummingbirds/Colibrí |
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Feeding Hummingbirds Feeding Hummingbirds is the single most important thing you can do for them. Just follow some simple rules to avoid doing the birds harm. You need to be diligent about cleaning the feeders of slime and mold. Change the nectar as often as suggested for the weather conditions. You must be sure to keep everything used for making the nectar very clean., in fact, it is best to dedicate certain items just for this task. I have a separate glass 4-cup Pyrex bowl just for this purpose. I have a mixing spoon and a funnel that are only used with the nectar. NEVER clean these things in a dishwasher. Hand wash and rinse thoroughly. Hummingbirds have very delicate systems and you do not want to compromise them. It really is very easy once you get used to doing these things. Even my husband can do it. NECTAR FOR FEEDERS The preferred method of feeding Hummingbirds is to make the nectar yourself. The safest and purest nectar to use is: 1 part table sugar to 4 parts water ABOUT THE SUGAR: Use only white pure cane sugar!! Some sugar has cornstarch added to prevent it from caking - if it makes the water cloudy then there is something else in it. NO brown sugar or raw sugar. NO artificial sweeteners or honey. You do not need to use red food coloring, fruit flavors, or commercial nectar products.* The red color on the feeder is enough to attract the birds. *Please read this article by Penny Elliston, a licensed hummingbird rehabilitator in New Mexico, about the dangers of relying too heavily on commercial nectar mixes. At the beginning of the season, you may want to increase the proportions of the nectar to 1:3. This makes a stronger sugar mix which will aid the newly arrived birds in regaining their strength. Use this mixture for about 3 weeks or until you think most have arrived. "Cold" mix for small amounts: (we use this method in an emergency - for 1 quart or less) Put the full 1 part sugar amount in a bottle and add 1-2 parts of the 4 parts in very hot tap water and shake bottle, or stir, to dissolve the sugar. When the sugar is dissolved then add the remaining 3-2 parts in cold tap water. Be sure the sugar is completely dissolved. "Hot" mix for larger amounts: (more than 1 quart) You can either boil the sugar and water mixture for 3-5 minutes or (like we do) boil the water then mix it with the sugar in a heat-safe glass container and stir to dissolve the sugar completely. The boiling is supposed to stabilize the mixture and slow down the fermenting process in very warm temperatures. Let it cool then pour into a clean storage bottle and refrigerate the nectar. |
