I never really thought about it much, but writing articles will (should) cause you to think about some things. One of those things popped up today – do I have a favorite bird? After a brief reflection it boiled down to two candidates: flamingos and hummingbirds. Then I realized that both of these birds are kind of outliers in the bird community. One is quite tall and pink while the other is a tiny little bird who can fly really fast. Since flamingos seem to have very little use in the garden unless you are talking about the plastic ones on metal legs that can brighten up any landscape, let’s talk about the other co-captain of Tom’s Team Bird, the hummingbird.

I mentioned the obvious by stating that hummingbirds are small, but in reality, they are the smallest native bird in North America weighing only about ¼ of an ounce and growing to about 3.5 inches in length. Those little wings that propel them through the air beat around 55 beats per second when they are in flight.

More often than not when I am outside, I hear a hummingbird before I see one. That buzz emanating from their wings is impressive. And oftentimes when you see one hummingbird, you’ll likely see another. If they are males, they are probably dive bombing each other as a way of defending their space or perhaps trying to impress a female. Males trying to impress females seems to be a universal constant in this world for better or worse.

Interestingly, when they are engaging in this type of behavior, the buzz from their wings is quite a bit louder with their wings beating up to 220 times per second. That’s a lot. And they can also emit a high-pitched squeak, but I’ve never heard it. Apparently, these squeaks make them more attractive to females. This particular trait doesn’t translate to humans…fortunately.

While our breast muscles make up about 5% of our body mass, on hummingbirds it’s closer to 25%. Average heart rates for hummingbirds are about 600 beats per minute. But when buzzing around, trying to impress, their heart rate can rise to about 1200 beats per minute. Again, compare this to the average human heart rate of between 60 to 100 beats per minute. This trend continues in breaths also. Humans average about 12 breaths per minute while hummingbirds average somewhere around 250 breaths per minute. While hummingbirds can live for up to 12 to 14 years, average lifespans are more like 3 to 4 years.

Hummingbirds are migratory with some making a 2000-mile journey from Mexico and Costa Rico, for some this includes a 500-mile journey over the Gulf of Mexico. When you factor in the size of this little bird, that’s an amazing feat. When preparing for this improbably journey, they bulk up a bit by adding half to their body weight in fat for fuel.

When you see a hummingbird buzzing around a flower you might assume that their long beak acts like kind of a straw, allowing them to suck out the nectar. But they are drinking via a back-and-forth motion of their tongue. This happens at a rate of about 13 licks per second.

One thing you may not have known about hummingbirds is that they also eat insects captured when flying. This behavior is more frequent when they are raising baby hummingbirds.

All that buzzing around takes quite a bit of energy which causes the hummingbird to feed about every 15 minutes. Since they need to eat quite often, one of the best ways to attract hummingbirds to your landscape is to provide a food source.

Now when I say we need to provide a food source, you are probably thinking about a hanging hummingbird feeder. While those are fun, flowers that are appropriate for hummingbirds provide a much more balanced form of nutrition.

Hummingbirds prefer flowers that are more tubular in shape as compared to more standard flowers with larger petals. Tubular flowers would include trumpet vine, honeysuckle, and salvia, among others. With enough of these, you won’t need a dedicated hummingbird feeder, but they are still fun.

If you do enjoy having a hummingbird feeder in hour landscape to watch them fly around, consider using it only in the early and late growing season when flowers are more scarce. Then when the more natural source of food from flowers becomes available, pack the feeder away and let the hummingbirds enjoy nature’s bounty.

When using feeders, stay away from the red dyes which can potentially cause health problems in hummingbirds. Instead, make an artificial nectar by dissolving one-part granulated sugar in four-parts of boiling water. This clear sugar water will be much better for the hummingbirds. And be sure to clean your feeder every two to three days to minimize disease or fungal issues. Also, place your feeder in a place that is not easily accessible to neighborhood cats.

Because hummingbirds are so competitive and territorial, it’s a good idea to provide more than one feeder. And last but not least, a bird feeder where they can bathe and get a drink is also a good idea. See you in the garden.

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Diagnostic Center at 918-746-3701, dropping by the Extension office at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo OSU Ag. Comm