Ways to Help Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are truly enchanting birds, but if you have ever see one, it was probably just  a brief glimpse of whirring wings. Here is what you can do to help these birds:

Hummingbirds, unlike most birds, feed on nectar. You can make hummingbird feeders for them and hand them from a tree. Here are a few easy designs:
1.Take a used shallow container with a lid that fits on it. 
2. Cut a hole in the lid that is big enough for a water bottle neck to fit through, but small enough that it will not fall out. You can always secure the bottle with hot glue, if needed.
3. Before putting the bottle neck inside the lid hole, drill 5 or 6 small holes in the lid, going around it. They should be big enough for a hummingbird's beak to slide through.
4. Stick the neck of the bottle in the lid. 
5. Make a solution of sugar and water and totally fill the bottle. 
6. Screw the lid back on and let the mixture flow into the container. Here is what it should look like:

You do not need to use a glass bottle. It can be plastic. Also, when you make your feeder solution, please don't dye it red! This can lead to health problems for the hummingbird.

You can also plant flowers for hummingbirds in your yard. Plant them in a sunny spot, in easy access to hummingbirds. Recommended plants include Bee balm, Cardinal flower, Trumpet vine, Salvia, Fuchsia, Columbine, Hollyhock, Flowering tobacco, Honeysuckle, and red-hot trumpet. You can also participate in SciStarter project Operation RubyThroat(thttp://www.scistarter.com/project/346-Operation%20RubyThroat%3A%20The%20Hummingbird%20Project)
This project monitors ruby-throat hummingbirds.

Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the bird world, and the only ones to drink nectar. Their beaks are specially adapted for the task, being able to probe into flowers and slurp out nectar. What also makes hummingbirds so different is their ability to hover in midair. Since hummingbirds are so lightweight, their bodies can easily catch a slight air current. This gently pushes the hummingbird upwards, but with wing flapping and body shifting, they can make it so the air currents hold them up. Of course, they still need to flap their wings. This takes up a lot of energy, even for such a tiny body. Could nectar provide them with all that energy? Actually, no. So what do they do? Hummingbirds eat insects as well as nectar. Instead of skewering them on their pointy beaks, a hummingbird opens its beak wide and approaches an insect from behind. Hummingbirds have the perfect body mechanisms, being able to make swift maneuvers in the air and hover while drinking. However, they still live on the edge of survival. Hummingbirds need a constant supply of energy, and a lot of it too. When they sleep, they still need energy. Now there is a high risk of their energy supply running out. What do they do? 

When a hummingbird settles down to sleep, they slow down their heart rate dramatically. Hummingbirds shut themselves into a state similar to that of hibernation until the morning. Then, they gradually warm up and take off. Yet another advantage of having a small body is the fact that it takes a much shorter time for it to warm up. 

Have you ever wondered how hummingbirds got their iridescence? It comes from pigments on their feathers, similar to that of butterflies. Only the males boast such beautiful coloration, because they use it as a mating display. A male will flutter in the light, and sometimes call to attract a female. When a female does come, the male will perform a display of flying and flaunting his iridescence. The male with the brightest feathers will win the mate. And could there be a more dazzling display then this? 

However, it is also a male's task to warn off rivals, who might want to steal his displaying ground--- and his mate. This means that he must briefly fight in midair with his challenger. Hummingbirds are surprisingly territorial, and an individual can control as much as a quarter of an acre. This comes in handy for attracting mates, because the male with the most territory is considered the strongest. This also helps because in a bigger feeding ground, the female will have more to feed on but taking less time to return to her chicks.

Here is a poem about hummingbirds that I wrote:

The Hummingbird

Hummingbird, hummingbird, like a propeller you hum
Beating so fast, don't your wings get numb?

Hummingbird, hummingbird in red, white, and green jewels,
perhaps rubies, diamonds, and jade are your fuels.

How do you hover in the air without falling?
How do you prevent your small engine from stalling?

Miniature bird, chirping and clicking
A jittery alarm clock ticking

Bird with a beak like a straw;
nectar from lilies you draw. 
  
One thousand beats per minute thumps your heart
my heart beats are so much farther apart.