By Leslye Glover, Tri-County Master Gardener
There are few things I find more exciting than spotting a hummingbird in my garden. The day a Cooper’s Hawk perched on the clothesline hoping to nab a mourning dove WAS a red-letter day, but on an ordinary day watching hummingbirds is wonderful.
I’d love to have more hummingbirds visit on a regular basis, so I began researching methods to attract them and pulled together the following information:
- 366 species of hummingbirds are found in the Western Hemisphere. Hummers are found only in the Americas. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are the only species found in Eastern Canada
- Ruby Throats migrate in spring from Central America (winter grounds) moving to our area as the flowers begin to open in a northward pattern. They fly over the Gulf of Mexico or Texas. They reverse this process in autumn.
- Hummingbirds do not move in flocks. They migrate solo.
- Hummers’ wings move in a horizontal figure 8 motion, 50 times per second.
- Resting heart rate is 20 beats per second.
- Their high metabolism requires high energy nourishment.
Feeding and Nesting
Hummingbirds’ bills evolved in tandem with the plants that nourish them. This is termed “co-evolution”. The hummer’s beak is tubular and slender with a specialized tongue which allows it to drain nectar quickly. The beak fits neatly into the long narrow flowers which the hummingbirds prefer. Like other birds, hummers eat insects; preferring aphids, gnats, small spiders, mosquitoes, insect larvae and eggs, leafhoppers and mites. Insects provide protein in their diet and are vital for their chicks’ survival. Hummers also need carbohydrates (sugars) which they source from flowers and feeders.
Female hummingbirds are the architects of tiny nests made of plant matter, held together by spider webs with bits of lichen on the outside. They build the nests in shady, hidden places. Females and young birds will continue to use sheltered places to rest, whereas males will rest and preen in more open spaces – twigs, clotheslines and electrical wires. All hummingbirds require dense foliage for roosting at night.
A Hummingbird-Friendly Garden
A property that attracts hummingbirds will attract all birds, butterflies, moths and insects. Everything is connected.
Although hummingbirds enjoy nectar from a variety of plants that are not native to our area, native plants will attract insects for all wildlife, including the hummers. Insects are food for all, but also pollinate the plants: a vital function to provide more plants. Hummingbirds are pollinators and can be seen with yellow pollen on their heads moving from flower to flower.
Native plants are defined as those which grew in our area prior to the arrival of Europeans. These plants evolved over millennia along with other forms of life. When plants from other parts of Earth (Asia, South America, Europe) are introduced to our part of the world, they can outcompete native plants, often providing little sustenance for wildlife. These plants are termed ‘non-native’ or ‘alien’.
More information is available on our website blogs titled: Invasive Plants, Keystone Species and Why Native Plants Matter.
In your gardens plant species with varied bloom times to provide nectar and insects early in the season when hummingbirds arrive, right through until autumn. They need to ‘bulk up’ for the trip south.
Plant in layers, using ground covers, shrubs, understory trees (such as redbud), trees and vines. Leave the fall leaves in your beds and leave the stalks of last year’s plants. This provides a variety of nesting, perching and hiding spots, as well as habitat and food for insects.
Birds will nest elsewhere if there is not enough insect life in your garden to sustain their brood.
Leave spider webs wherever you can, since spiders are a bonus for gardens and hummers need the spider silk for nests. They also like to pluck small insects from webs for a light snack.
Rotting fruit will attract fruit flies, which hummingbirds find tasty, and will also attract butterflies.
Don’t use pesticides in your garden. Just don’t.
Feeders/Water
Many gardeners and bird lovers put out feeders with sugar water to attract hummingbirds. Hummingbirds will remember where feeders are located and return year after year, day after day. All hummers are territorial, so to keep aggression at bay, put out more than one feeder.
It is vital that feeders are cleaned regularly. If they are not located in full sun for the full day, the nectar mixture will last longer.
https://hummingbirdscanada.ca/hummingbirds/attracting_and_feeding
Hummingbirds drink sap, water on leaves and dew, but do not typically visit conventional bird baths. They prefer moving water or a fine mist/spray.
Plants Favoured by Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds can see ultraviolet light and are particularly attracted to the colour red. They prefer red, orange and yellow tubular flowers but are opportunistic feeders, taking advantage of any nectar-filled blooms.
Dense plantings are extremely attractive to hummingbirds (and bees) since they can expend the minimum amount of energy to collect maximum nectar.
Partial list of plants native to Ontario which attract hummingbirds
- Wild Columbine Aquilegia candensis
- Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalsis
- Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- Bee Balm Monarda didyma, Monarda fistulosa
- Spotted Jewelweed Impatiens capensis
- Virginia bluebells Mertensia virginica
- Hairy Beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
- Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Wild Lupine Lupinus perennis
- Dense Blazing Star Liatris spicata
- Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa
- Anise Hyssop Agastache foeniculum
- Wild Blue Phlox Phlox divaricata
- Redbud Cercis canadensis
- Tulip Tree Lirioden tulipifera
- Serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis
- New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus
Avoid cultivars. These are plants which have been bred for looks, often with double or triple rows of petals. They may have been cross bred from two species, termed a hybrid. Cultivars often have less pollen and nectar than straight species. Odd configurations of petals make access to any nectar difficult, if not impossible, for insects and hummingbirds.
Below is a partial list of non-native plants which attract hummingbirds. These plants will attract fewer insects than natives, but will provide nectar for hummers. Some of these plants may be native to areas where hummingbirds overwinter.
- Lavender
- Fuchsia
- Impatiens
- Petunias
- Annual geraniums
- Zinnias
- Trumpet vine
- Crocosmia
- Nicotiana
- Crab apple
- Cherry
- Lupines
- Phlox
If you provide an abundance of nectar-filled plants with season long blooms, along with safe nesting spots, moving water and clean feeders, you will begin to attract hummingbirds to your garden. You will also foster biodiversity and support insects and animals of all sorts. If you build it, they will come.
There are many websites for additional information. Here are suggestions:
