Ruby-throated hummingbird at John Clayton trumpet honeysuckle
Nothing is sweeter
than seeing a hummingbird visit your yard. Sugar-water feeders are one way to attract these vibrant birds, but an even better bet is an abundance of flowering plants that they love. Grow perennials to keep hummers coming back each year.
Cardinal flower stems offer many blooms for ruby-throated hummingbirds.
Plant with Purpose
"If we want to truly support birds, our first instinct must be to create native habitat," says Becca Rodomsky-Bish, a project leader for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "While sugar-water feeders are a fun way to pull birds in close to our homes, they don't resolve the long-term issue that many birds such as hummingbirds can have, which is where to forage for native food resources." Hummingbirds may consume about half their body weight in nectar each day, feeding approximately every 10 to 15 minutes. (They also eat small insects, especially during nesting season.) All that sipping means they require access to many blooms every day. Native perennials are a terrific option to fill that demand.
Bee balm is native to North America and attracts pollinators such as the ruby-throated hummingbird.
"Plants that are attuned to your region will bloom and produce what is needed, when it is needed," Becca says. "Provide a variety of plants that produce flowers at different times in the season to best align with the resources hummingbirds require to successfully recover after long migrations, raise their young and fuel up to prepare for their fall migrations."
Denne historien er fra June/July 2022-utgaven av Birds & Blooms.
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Denne historien er fra June/July 2022-utgaven av Birds & Blooms.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Sense or Nonsense? - Why some birds can taste and smell - but others can't
Does a porcelain berry taste like a blueberry to a gray catbird? Does a block of lard smell like frying bacon to a northern flicker? The short answer is no. While some avian species do have a well-adapted sense of taste or smell, they can't distinguish between flavors and odors the way humans can. They're not picking up every ingredient in the suet you put out, says José Ramírez-Garofalo, an ornithology researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the director of Freshkills Biological Station in Staten Island, New York.
Maple Mania - Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay
Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay
Food-Focused and Fierce - Meet Canada jays and learn why they eat almost anything they can find
Even if you haven't heard of Canada jays, you've heard of their relatives. Members of the corvid family, they belong to the same group as American crows, blackbilled magpies, and jays including blue, Steller's and scrub. "Unlike many of the other jays, a Canada jay doesn't have a crest of any kind; it just has a rounded head," says Dale Gentry, director of conservation for Audubon Upper Mississippi River.In 2018, the Canada jay's name was changed from gray jay, but Dale thinks the former adjective was fitting. "Most of its body is shades of gray with some white," he says. "There are different subspecies that have different physical traits, but most of them have some lighter coloring on their foreheads, upper breasts and throats, each with a darker streak that starts at each eye and goes back."
IN GOOD COMPANY
BIRDS OF A FEATHER MAY FLOCK TOGETHER, but what about other collectives of critters-and what do you call them when they do?
YOUR OWN Perfect Prairie
Learn how to cultivate an oasis of grassland flora in your backyard
ON THE MOVE
Birds approach the challenges of migration in surprising ways. Learn about how they walk, swim or take the scenic route during their travels.
Autumn Wonders
Fall colors offer befitting backdrops for these stunning reader photos
Sparrow Look-Alikes
Distinct sounds help separate these similar species
Embracing the Darkness
From black plants to moody decor, Gothic garden elements can offer a unique outlet to express your dark side
Red-Hot Plants
Scarlet-hued berries add a pop of color to any garden
