Hummingbirds

Calliope Hummingbird

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Most people in El Paso who are paying attention to their backyard birds have noticed that hummingbirds are back for the summer breeding season.  If you have not seen any yet try putting out a hummingbird feeder.  Hummingbird feeders are not expensive, but if are going to help hummingbirds with feeders be sure that you use a good nectar recipe. This one comes from the Smithsonian National Zoo.

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
Ingredients
Refined white sugar
Water

Directions for making safe hummingbird food:
1.   Mix 1-part sugar with 4 parts water (for example, 1 cup of sugar with 4 cups of water) until the sugar is dissolved.
2.   Do not add red dye.
3.   Fill your hummingbird feeders with the sugar water and place outside.
4.   Extra sugar water can be stored in a refrigerator.
5.   Change feeders every other day and thoroughly clean them each time to prevent harmful mold growth.

Hummingbirds in El Paso

In 2008, Chamizal National Memorial located across the way from the Zoo and adjacent to Bowie High School, was involved with the Hummingbird Monitoring Network. Park rangers and volunteers caught hummingbirds in nets and then weighed, measured, and banded them.  The information gathered was loaded into an international database for scientists to study and extrapolate information.

At the Zoo here in El Paso one of their curators, Animal Curator John Kiseda, has compiled a list of wild birds seen at the Zoo.   So far, they have recorded 4 species of hummingbirds including the most common species in El Paso, the Black-chinned Hummingbird plus the Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird and Calliope Hummingbird.

To learn more about the birds of our area contact the El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society.  The group meets on a regular basis and leads bird walks. 

Photos
Top, Dr. Ad Konings
Bottom – Renee Grayson, Wikimedia Creative Commons
Cover – cover Greg Schechter, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Wikimedia Creative Commons