Read About Humming Birds

Humming Birds are small native birds of Canada and the eastern United States. Here's everything you need to know about them.

Humming Birds -- Facts

1. Breed:

   There are many breeds of humming birds, which belong to the family Trochilidae.

2. Size:

   Humming birds are remarkably small in size. Most of them will be 2 to 4 inches from their beak to their tail. The larger ones may go up to 8 inches.

3. Life Span:

   Humming birds can live for five to six years.

4. Varieties:

   There are more than 300 different varieties of humming birds based on their size, colors and native habitat.

5. Origins:

   Humming birds have originated in America. Nature has not allowed them to migrate for some reason. Even today, they are found only on the American continent.

6. Physical Traits:

   Humming birds are among the smallest birds of the world. They have bright colors, which are breed-specific and tiny bodies. They have very long beaks in proportion to their small bodies.

7. Temperament:

   Humming birds are always on the move. Their hovering motions above flowers give the impression of being impatient. Actually, nature has not provided them strong enough legs to perch for a long period of time.

8. Trainability:

   Humming birds are trainable and can be trained to understand the meanings of human words. However, their fast movement and restlessness makes it difficult to teach them.

Humming Birds -- Care

1. Habitat:

   Humming birds are really aerial in the true sense of the word. They are never seen on trees, but seen hovering among flowers in search of nectar.

2. Food:

   The basic food of the humming bird consists of nectar from flowers.

3. Compatibility:

   Humming birds are solitary creatures. They search for their nectar on their own throughout the day. Hence they are not compatible with other birds.

Humming Birds -- Concerns

1. Benefits:

   Humming birds add merry color to gardens, parks and other places where flowers can be found in abundance.

2. Liabilities:

   Humming birds need nectar to subsist. That means, if there are no flowers, there would be no humming birds. This total dependence on one kind of food is very dangerous to a breed. This is one reason why the humming bird has not been able to migrate.

3. Health Issues:

   There are no known health issues with humming birds.

4. Specific Care Needs:

   You cannot and should not cage humming birds, but rather you can attract them to your garden by growing many brightly colored and scented flowers or specialized feeders.

5. Special Household Needs:

   If you have a garden with a garage or an outhouse attached, take care that humming birds do not get locked in them. Such locked humming birds will die within a couple of hours.

Humming Birds -- How to Choose

1. What to Look for:

   Humming birds must be very active and show no signs of disease.

2. Supplies:

   The only supplies humming birds will need will be flowers and their nectar. So grow more flowers in your garden!

3. Expense:

   Humming birds are not sold as pets, so prices are not available.