Random Sightings
From Our Gallery
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Rube-throated Male Hummingbird at feeder.
Posted by Sharon Stangle, Oct 05, 2018.
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Ruby-troated Male Hummingbird
Posted by Sharon Stangle, Oct 05, 2018.
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Ruby-throated Female
Posted by Sharon Stangle, Oct 05, 2018.
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Ruby-throated Female
Posted by Sharon Stangle, Oct 05, 2018.
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Taking a break!
Posted by Julia Worth, Jul 26, 2018.
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Humm humm good
Posted by Connie Fowler, Aug 08, 2016.
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Lesser Goldfinch
Posted by Parker Hill, May 09, 2015.
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Fluffy
Posted by Cheryl Ewing, May 09, 2015.
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ruby throat and orange trumpets
Posted by Bart Eason, Apr 19, 2015.
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resting
Posted by bart eason, Apr 19, 2015.
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Hummer bird
Posted by Bret Goddard, Mar 04, 2015.
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Still can't wait
Posted by Bret Goddard, Mar 04, 2015.
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Can't wait, hopefully it will warm up again and our friends will come back
Posted by Bret Goddard, Mar 04, 2015.
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At the feeder
Posted by Pete Casey, Jan 25, 2015.
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Bottle bush
Posted by Pete Casey, Jan 25, 2015.
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Zinna and visitor
Posted by Pete Casey, Jan 25, 2015.
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Summer colors
Posted by Peter R. Casey III, Jan 25, 2015.
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Taking a sip...
Posted by Peter R. Casey III, Jan 17, 2015.
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Backyard
Posted by Peter R. Casey III, Jan 17, 2015.
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Hummingbird
Posted by Richard Mello, Jan 04, 2015.
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Website Features
Written by Bill Thompson, III, May 10, 2021 Comments »
Hummingbirds appreciate a reliable nectar source, whether natural or provided by humans. Bill Thompson, III, offers expert advice on feeding hummingbirds.
Posted on Sep 30, 2020 Comments »
You've probably heard the myth: Take down your hummingbird feeders in the fall or the hummers will "forget" to migrate. It's not true. Birds, including the hummingbirds at our feeders, are programmed by instinct to migrate when their inner clocks tell them to leave.
Posted on Sep 16, 2020 Comments »
Hummingbirds have evolved a unique ability to go into a trancelike state called torpor to help them survive cool temperatures and periods of inactivity, especially while sleeping at night. The birds are unresponsive and appear to be dead when in this state.
Written by Birdsquatch, Aug 19, 2020 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: Is hummingbirdicide a crime? I adore eight of my hummingbirds, but Number 9, a male, is making life difficult for all the others. I want to kill him. Not really, but he must be stopped! Can I trap him and relocate him? Any advice?
—Fern B.,
Rolla, Missouri
Written by Dawn Hewitt, Aug 12, 2020 Comments »
It's a question we get every summer here at Watching Backyard Birds and Bird Watcher's Digest: How can I keep the bees off of my nectar feeder? WBB editor Dawn Hewitt conducts a pseudo-scientific experiment to see which of her hummingbird feeders attracts the fewest bees.
Written by Birdsquatch, Jul 29, 2020 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: Is hummingbirdicide a crime? I adore eight of my hummingbirds, but Number 9, a male, is making life difficult for all the others. I want to kill him. Not really, but he must be stopped! Can I trap him and relocate him? Any advice?
—Fern B.,
Rolla, Missouri
Written by Dawn Hewitt, Jul 15, 2020 Comments »
A potential threat to hummingbirds may be lurking in your yard. The photos are too gruesome to publish, but there are plenty on the internet of mantises killing hummingbirds.
Written by Birdsquatch, Jun 03, 2020 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch:
How can I wean my hummingbirds from my nectar feeders? I will be moving in August.
—Lynne S.,
Los Angeles, California
Posted on May 13, 2020 Comments »
The common burdock (Arctium minus) is considered a weed by most people, in part because it is not a native plant, but was brought here from Europe, and now grows wild from coast to coast. Those familiar with the plant, which can grow to six feet, know it mostly because of the tenacious burrs it produces. It can be a death trap to hummingbirds!
Posted on Sep 11, 2019 Comments »
It's a myth that a hummingbird, or any bird for that matter, will be deterred from heading south in the fall because of human-provided food. Instinct and hormonal urges are what drive birds to migrate, and hummingbirds are no different. Besides, there is good reason to leave your nectar feeder up and full of fresh sugar water until the temperature dips to below freezing, even if you haven't seen a hummer for weeks.
Written by Birdsquatch, Apr 24, 2019 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: I have a question about hummingbird nectar. When making the sugar water (in the proper 4:1 ratio, of course), I usually make a big pot—enough to fill 10 16-ounce Mason jars, which I keep in the garage fridge. Today, when I was filling the backyard feeder, I noticed black fungi floating in ALL of the jars. I always clean with soap and water and even bleach the jars a bit. But I still occasionally get mold. Do I need to make fresh solution each time I clean the feeders?
Written by Birdsquatch, Apr 10, 2019 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: I would love to know how many hummingbirds are visiting my feeders. My wife says there are about a dozen, but I'm thinking there are many more. It's hard to count the little buzz bombs because they rarely sit still. Is there a way to count them accurately?
Posted on Apr 03, 2019 Comments »
Want to watch the progression of hummingbirds in North America? Check out these websites—and if you see a hummingbird in your area, consider reporting your observation!
Written by Birdsquatch, Sep 26, 2018 Comments »
The weather in my part of the country gets pretty cold after Halloween, so I'm wondering when I should take my hummingbird feeders down for the winter. I don't want to keep the little buzzbombs here so late in the season that their tails freeze off. Got any woodsy wisdom for me?
Written by Birdsquatch, Aug 15, 2018 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: In the summer every year, my hummingbird feeder is overtaken by honeybees or yellow jackets. The hummingbirds can't get a sip. Is it okay to kill the pests with insecticide spray?
Posted on Jul 25, 2018 Comments »
Did you know? Not all flowers are necessarily good food sources for hummingbirds. Learn which ones are best for your backyard visitors. And, don't use anything other than white table sugar when making hummingbird nectar.
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Oct 04, 2017 Comments »
You've probably heard the myth: Take down your hummingbird feeders in the fall or the hummers will "forget" to migrate. It's not true. Birds, including the hummingbirds at our feeders, are programmed by instinct to migrate when their inner clocks tell them to leave.
Written by Dawn Hewitt, Aug 02, 2017 Comments »
Only one species of hummingbird nests the East, but fifteen species of hummingbird breed in North America, including the orange rufous hummingbird. Hundreds more live in Central and South America, ranging from the tiny blue bee hummingbird, to the robin-sized giant hummingbird.
Written by Birdsquatch, Jul 26, 2017 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: My hummingbirds are ignoring my feeder. I've had it up for a month now but not a single bird has taken a drink. They visit it, look at it, and leave. What’s going on?
Posted on Sep 28, 2016 Comments »
Even though nesting season is over for the year, we couldn't resist sharing this photo, sent by Marie Noplos, of Fergus Falls, Minnesota. She wrote, "This is a photo I took of a female rubythroated hummingbird feeding her two babies. Little Betty, as my 11-year-old daughter named her, built her nest in the flowering dogwood tree in our backyard. I was on our deck one day and saw her going back and forth across the yard, snatching cobwebs and carrying them to the tree. I assume this is her first year of nesting because the tree limb is not very sturdy and less than 15 feet from a busy road in town..."
Posted on Sep 09, 2016 Comments »
It's a myth that a hummingbird, or any bird for that matter, will be deterred from heading south in the fall because of human-provided food. Instinct and hormonal urges are what drive birds to migrate, and hummingbirds are no different. Besides, there is good reason to leave your nectar feeder up and full of fresh sugar water until the temperature dips to below freezing, even if you haven't seen a hummer for weeks.
Written by Jeane Pirkle, Feb 01, 2016 Comments »
For years Jeane Pirkle has kept a feeder up long after the hummingbirds leave with the hope of attracting a winter hummingbird. She continued that practice during the fall of 2013. In late October she noticed a single bird visiting her feeder each day. At first she thought it was a female ruby-throated hummingbird, but it turned out to be a rare visitor to her area during the winter months.
Posted on Apr 02, 2015 Comments »
You don't need to be a bird expert to know that hummingbirds are cool! Check out this list of facts about these flying jewels of the bird world.
Posted on Jun 13, 2014 Comments »
Want to make your own nectar for feeding hummingbirds? It's easy! All you need is the right proportion of sugar and water.
Posted on Apr 29, 2014 Comments »
If you only have a little room in your garden, or want to simplify things and plant a few flowers that really appeal to hummingbirds, you can't go wrong with these recommendations.
Written by Dawn Hewitt, Mar 24, 2014 Comments »
Ruth Witmer feeds hummingbirds. She lives in eastern Pennsylvania, where ruby-throated hummingbirds normally make their annual debut in mid- to late April. Last April, Ruth put her sugar-water mixture out in mid-April before she had seen the first hummingbird of 2013. What she saw on April 20 was not what she expected. It was a hummingbird all right, but sure looked different.
Posted on Aug 02, 2013 Comments »
Any backyard in North America can expect to have hummingbirds during the warmer months of the year (April through late September). But sometimes those hummingbirds don't get along. Other times, uninvited guests help themselves to the sweet nectar in your feeders. Here are some solutions to a few of the most common problems that plague North American hummingbirders.
Posted on May 09, 2013 Comments »
How does one lure these winged jewels into the backyard for easy viewing? Better yet, how does one keep hummingbirds hanging around throughout the entire season? Attracting backyard hummingbirds is not as difficult as you might think. Like all birds, hummers need food, water, and shelter. Here are a few tips to help you provide these basic necessities for your backyard hummingbirds.
Written by Kyle Carlsen, Apr 25, 2013 Comments »
The return of the first ruby-throated hummingbird is one of the most highly anticipated spring events in eastern North America. Although a few of these winged gems spend the winter months in parts of the southern United States, the vast majority winter in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Each year the hummingbirds travel remarkable distances between their wintering grounds and their summer breeding areas, which span from the Gulf of Mexico to southern Canada.
New On This Site
Your Garden: Let It Be added on Sep 22, 2021
Fall Tip: Save Your Summer Berries for Winter added on Sep 15, 2021
Watch the Moon for Southbound Migrants added on Sep 13, 2021
Memorable Spring Visitors added in the gallery by Deanna Mayhew on Jul 1, 2020
Fresh out of the Nest added in the gallery by Deanna Mayhew on Jul 1, 2020
Robin Feast added in the gallery by Tylor Birmingham on May 26, 2020