If you haven’t already done so, hang up your feeders! Ruby-throated hummingbirds and other avian migrants are returning to Georgia from wintering grounds far to the south. Ruby-throated “hummers” may travel more than 1,200 miles from Central America to Georgia.
One showed up last week at the Forsyth office of the Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame Conservation Section. “They’re just arriving,” said Jim Ozier, a nongame program manager. “The first ones started showing up in middle Georgia about 10 days ago.”
Following the grueling migration, this diminutive bird must seek out about half its weight in food every day. Typical body weight of a ruby-throated hummingbird is 3 to 3.4 grams. To maintain their high metabolism, hummingbirds feed frequently on high-energy food sources such as rich but easily digested nectar and the tree sap that collects in yellow-bellied sapsucker foraging holes. Hummingbirds also need protein. They obtain it by eating tiny spiders and small, soft-bodied insects found on flowers or in sapsucker holes in trees.
Hummingbird enthusiasts can provide food for these travel-weary visitors by planting coral honeysuckle, columbine, bee balm and other flowering plants. Native plants are recommended because they need minimal care and are compatible with local ecosystems.
The Nongame Conservation Section is offering free packets of native wildflower seeds mixed to attract nectar-feeders. The packets were purchased through a grant from The Environmental Resources Network, or TERN, the friends group of the Nongame Conservation Section.
Hummingbird feeders also provide an important food source. Refill feeders every few days with a mix of one part sugar to four parts water. For best results, bring the water to a boil before adding the sugar and then continue to boil three to four minutes. Allow the mixture to cool before filling the feeder. Refrigerate unused portions.
Periodically clean feeders, making sure that all molds and bacteria are removed. But do not use harsh cleaning agents. Feeders can be easily cleaned in dishwasher or with mild soap and warm water.
Using feeders and planting nectar-producing flowers is the best recipe for attracting hummingbirds. For plantings, incorporate flowers that bloom from early spring through fall. Flower gardens will also attract a variety of other enjoyable nectar-feeders, such as butterflies.
Occasionally, “lost” migrant hummingbirds of several species not considered native to the region are seen at feeders during the winter, so many enthusiasts leave their feeders up throughout the year. To report unusual hummingbirds, please contact the Nongame Conservation Section at (478) 994-1438. Information sheets on Georgia’s hummingbirds are available at www.georgiawildlife.com (click “Conservation,” then “Georgia Animals & Plants”).
To receive a seeds packet, send a first-class, self-addressed, stamped envelope (No. 10 letter-sized) to: Nectar-feeder Native Wildflower Seed Packet, DNR/WRD Nongame Conservation Section, 116 Rum Creek Drive, Forsyth, Ga. 31029. One packet per customer, please.
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Showing posts with label ruby throated. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ruby throated. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Keep Feeders up in Winter for Visiting Hummingbirds
Keep your hummingbird feeders filled and available this winter. That’s the recommendation of Georgia Wildlife Resources Division biologists, who know that some hummers spend winter in the state and benefit from the nourishment feeders offer.
Eleven hummingbird species have been recorded in Georgia. But while the only one that nests here – the ruby-throated hummingbird – migrates south and leaves the U.S. by mid-October, species from the western U.S. and Central America sometimes show up as early as August and stay until about April. These newcomers include rufous hummingbirds, which have the longest migration route of any hummer, and the calliope hummingbird, the smallest bird in the nation.
Many Georgians once took their feeders down in fall for fear the free food would keep hummingbirds from migrating. But the birds migrate in response to day length, not food supply. Keeping feeders up does not hinder migration.
Instead, some fortunate homeowners with full feeders have enjoyed playing host to rare visiting hummingbirds in winter.
“People enjoy doing it. (And) we get good information” involving the birds, said Jim Ozier, a program manager with the Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame Conservation Section.
The rufous is the most commonly seen wintering hummer in the Southeast. This species flits from breeding ranges that extend from the Pacific Northwest as far north as southern Alaska to its primary wintering grounds in south-central Mexico. However, a few rufous hummingbirds take a different path and are spotted throughout Georgia and the rest of the Southeast during winter.
The calliope hummer is another snowbird, colorful but tiny at about a 10th of an ounce. A calliope was first recorded in the Peach State during the winter of 1998-1999.
According to the Georgia Hummers Web site (www.gahummer.org), the 2007-2008 season sported another first sighting, a green-breasted mango that wintered in Dublin. This species is normally found in Central and South America. Only three have been documented in the U.S. outside of Texas. The Dublin visitor remained for several weeks, attracting birders from all over the country.
Western hummingbird species can be difficult to identify. But Georgians can contact Wildlife Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section in Forsyth, (478) 994-1438, about hummer sightings. These reports document the incidence of wintering hummers and help biologists determine the birds’ habitat needs.
Georgians can help conserve hummingbirds through buying wildlife license plates featuring a ruby-throated hummer or a bald eagle. The license plate sales, in addition to donations to the Give Wildlife a Chance state income tax checkoff, are vital to the Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state funds to help conserve rare plants, natural habitats and wildlife not legally hunted, fished for or trapped in Georgia. Details at www.georgiawildlife.com.
Georgia hummers at a glance:
· Allen’s
· Anna’s
· Black-chinned
· Broad-billed
· Broad-tailed
· Calliope
· Green-breasted mango
· Magnificent
· Ruby-throated
· Rufous
· Green violet-eared hummingbird*
*This species is listed as provisional, meaning a photograph is needed to add it to the state’s official list.
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www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
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Eleven hummingbird species have been recorded in Georgia. But while the only one that nests here – the ruby-throated hummingbird – migrates south and leaves the U.S. by mid-October, species from the western U.S. and Central America sometimes show up as early as August and stay until about April. These newcomers include rufous hummingbirds, which have the longest migration route of any hummer, and the calliope hummingbird, the smallest bird in the nation.
Many Georgians once took their feeders down in fall for fear the free food would keep hummingbirds from migrating. But the birds migrate in response to day length, not food supply. Keeping feeders up does not hinder migration.
Instead, some fortunate homeowners with full feeders have enjoyed playing host to rare visiting hummingbirds in winter.
“People enjoy doing it. (And) we get good information” involving the birds, said Jim Ozier, a program manager with the Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame Conservation Section.
The rufous is the most commonly seen wintering hummer in the Southeast. This species flits from breeding ranges that extend from the Pacific Northwest as far north as southern Alaska to its primary wintering grounds in south-central Mexico. However, a few rufous hummingbirds take a different path and are spotted throughout Georgia and the rest of the Southeast during winter.
The calliope hummer is another snowbird, colorful but tiny at about a 10th of an ounce. A calliope was first recorded in the Peach State during the winter of 1998-1999.
According to the Georgia Hummers Web site (www.gahummer.org), the 2007-2008 season sported another first sighting, a green-breasted mango that wintered in Dublin. This species is normally found in Central and South America. Only three have been documented in the U.S. outside of Texas. The Dublin visitor remained for several weeks, attracting birders from all over the country.
Western hummingbird species can be difficult to identify. But Georgians can contact Wildlife Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section in Forsyth, (478) 994-1438, about hummer sightings. These reports document the incidence of wintering hummers and help biologists determine the birds’ habitat needs.
Georgians can help conserve hummingbirds through buying wildlife license plates featuring a ruby-throated hummer or a bald eagle. The license plate sales, in addition to donations to the Give Wildlife a Chance state income tax checkoff, are vital to the Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state funds to help conserve rare plants, natural habitats and wildlife not legally hunted, fished for or trapped in Georgia. Details at www.georgiawildlife.com.
Georgia hummers at a glance:
· Allen’s
· Anna’s
· Black-chinned
· Broad-billed
· Broad-tailed
· Calliope
· Green-breasted mango
· Magnificent
· Ruby-throated
· Rufous
· Green violet-eared hummingbird*
*This species is listed as provisional, meaning a photograph is needed to add it to the state’s official list.
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
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