If the birds of the world decided to hold a tiny home competition, the hummingbird would win hands-down.
At a diameter of just 3.8 cm (1.5 in), a typical nest has just enough room to house a few jelly bean-sized eggs. Depending on the species, mother hummingbirds will lay between one to three of them.
For being such small birds, hummingbirds can cover massive distances during migration. Not all species migrate, but those that do can fly distances of nearly 6,437 km (4,000 miles) — and that’s just one way!
Some of the birds will settle in the United States, while others will continue onto Canada or even as far north as Alaska.
Encountering a hummingbird in person is always exciting. If you’d like to encourage one to visit your garden, you’ll want to ensure you provide a welcoming habitat.
This includes offering food in the form of insects or nectar, and having plants with large leaves that can collect water for drinking and bathing.
You can also supplement their diet by purchasing a feeder or two and filling them with a home-made solution of one part sugar to four parts water.
Simply boil the water for a minute, add the sugar, and allow the mixture to cool before filling your feeder.
Avoid adding food colouring as this only adds unnecessary chemicals to their diet — the red on the feeder is enough to attract the birds.
Hang your feeder in a visible place and have a camera ready. Good luck!
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