Written By: Aimee Turcotte Zoo Educator ![]() Hummingbirds, small iridescent birds that originate from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, are pollinators that contribute to the biodiversity of flowering plants in tropical rainforests, high-altitude mountain ranges, and arid deserts. These plants can be annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines, and trees. The blossoms from vegetation may attract hummingbirds through their bright colors, including reds and oranges. A hummingbird’s flight agility enables them to hover over a colorful flower to drink nectar. Additionally, their long, slender bills allow hummingbirds to reach the nectar from blossoms, which they can lap up with their extendable tongues. The nectar provides hummingbirds with nutrients that give them energy, allowing these birds to fly for long periods of time. They need to drink about two times their body weight per day to be fully nourished. If the nectar in a hummingbird’s habitat is limited, these birds are opportunistic, occasionally eating insects or tree sap. Hummingbirds can get water from nectar, but, if necessary, they can also drink water from running water sources like rivers, waterfalls, and birdbaths. While drinking nectar, these birds unintentionally fertilize plants by collecting pollen on their feathers and transferring the pollen between flowers.
Unfortunately, there are many threats to hummingbirds that impact the availability of their basic habitat requirements: food, water, and shelter. The migration of hummingbirds correlates with the flowering times of native flora. Hummingbirds need to find suitable habitats along their migration path with flowering plants for breeding, nesting, and wintering. When these birds migrate, they typically are in continuous flight for 18 to 22 hours. These birds frequently utilize any narrow pieces of habitat such as roadsides, utility corridors, and field edges, to safely travel between larger habitat areas. One of the threats that hummingbirds face during migration is the presence of nonnative vegetation that people plant in their habitats for decoration. Nonnative flora can make habitats less suitable for hummingbirds because this vegetation can become invasive, competing against local native plants that hummingbirds pollinate for resources. These invasive plants typically win the competition, resulting in the loss of native flora diversity that provide nectar for hummingbirds. What can you do to help hummingbirds? At your home, you can make nectar for hummingbirds by mixing water, sugar, and red food coloring. Check out this link to see the recipe: How to Make Hummingbird Nectar | Audubon. The nectar can be put in a feeder for hummingbirds that visit your backyard. Additionally, native plants can be planted in a garden as a source of nectar for hummingbirds that play an important role in pollination. Lastly, you can make a call for action to protect hummingbirds and other pollinators by spreading the word about the importance of these animals for supporting plant communities.
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