16th Annual High Country Hummingbird Festival
July 27, 2023
It should be a beautiful day with a high of 83 degrees and chance of showers. Come prepared.
- There are over 300 species of hummingbirds and most are found in South America.
- More than 15 species of hummingbirds breed in the United States.
- Hummingbirds chirp, and do not sing.
- A hummingbird's heart beats over 1200 times per minute. At rest, a hummingbird will take over 250 breaths per minute.
- Hummingbirds can barely walk.
- A penny weighs 2.5 grams, a hummingbird weighs 2-20 grams.
- Female hummingbirds are usually larger than males.
- Hummingbirds do not mate for life.
- Female hummingbirds do all the nest building and raising of the young.
- The average life span is 5 years.
- Wing beats per second = Over 70
- Hummingbirds are the only bird that can fly both forward and backwards.
- Average flight speed = 25-30 mph.
- It takes 20 hours for a Ruby-throated hummingbird to fly across the Gulf of Mexico.
- The Rufous hummingbird migrates from Canada to Mexico.
- A hummingbird will visit 1,000 flowers per day, needing to eat 7 or more times per hour.
- When sleeping, hummingbirds go into torpor - a state of hibernation. Hummingbirds in torpor have a heart rate of 50 or fewer beats per minute.
- A hummingbird's instinct to migrate is stronger than a food source - your hummingbird feeder will not stop a hummingbird from migrating.
- Hummingbird Nectar Recipe. Mix 1 part refined, white sugar to 4 parts of boiling water. Let the nectar cool before using. Extra nectar can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 7 days. DO NOT other types of sweetener such as: organic sugar, artificial sweeteners, honey, molasses, agave syrup, or alternatives to plain white sugar works best. Most of these contain other ingredients (like cornstarch). These can build up in the tiny bodies of hummingbird and become harmful.
- Feeders should be cleaned and refilled with fresh nectar every 3-4 days.
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