Hummingbirds

What about red food coloring in hummingbird nectar? Is it harmful? I decided to research this question when an injured hummingbird came into my care in the summer of 2009. She had had just two feedings of a commercial nectar preparation containing artificial dye. She was still excreting brilliant red droppings 24 hours later. Many […]

Continental East Imagine you could plant a garden so lush, green, and full of blooming things that angels would come down from on high to sip from its reservoirs of nectar. You can. With the right flowers to attract them, you’ll provide irresistible temptations to hummingbirds—the angels (and devils) of the bird world. Hummingbirds seem

One of the most persistent myths in the world of birds is that hummingbirds migrate on the backs of larger, stronger birds. On the surface this might make sense, if one is willing to put one’s brain in neutral and simply rely on one’s natural ability to presume something is true. After all, hummingbirds are tiny

Though we tend to think of hummingbirds as cute, dainty little things, in reality they make bold and fierce competitors. They don’t let their guard down for a moment while defending their territories from other hummingbirds. They must also watch out for other animals that might prey on them, such as American kestrels in North