All posts by thebestnest

Hummingbirds

Male Hummingbirds and their Gorgets

Male ruby-throated hummingbirds are not born with their stunning red gorgets. (The term gorget is from a piece of armor that protected the neck of medieval soldiers.) This red coloring on the neck is developed over time. The picture on the left could be either a female or a male hummingbird. By the time the male bird is 6 months old he should have a red dot forming. By 1 year the entire neck will be covered and the hummingbird will be ready to mate.

The visually metallic looking neck is not from pigments in the feathers. It is created by tiny, layered platelets in the feathers that reflect light. So, depending on how the light is hitting the bird it may appear bright red, or a slight tip of the head may make the gorget appear black. All the iridescent reds, greens, and purples you see on hummingbirds are created this way. The duller brown and gray feathers are from actual pigments.

Why did nature create such a brilliantly colored male hummingbird? Well, in the bird world if you want a mate, you must stand out. Some birds sing for mates, some do acrobatic flying maneuvers, others like male hummingbirds must sing, fly and look good doing it.

The male will be ready to mate by their first spring after hatching. Hummingbirds don’t mate for life. In fact, after the task, they don’t help build the nest, sit on the eggs, or even help with feeding the chicks. It makes you wonder why? Lots of birds help in chick development, why not the hummingbird?

Backyard Wild Bird Feeding

Bird Camera – Getting the Exposure Right

Everyone is buying their mothers and fathers these fabulous wild bird cameras. A couple of names you may have heard are #Birdbuddy or #Berdz as well as a 100 more cameras coming to a store near you. And for the most part, they are fabulous!

They do come with a small warning which is don’t put in direct sunlight. This video show why. Nothing bad is going to happen (at least in what we know now) but too much or too little sun results in bad videos. Watch and Learn

Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are so… territorial

Did you know that hummingbirds don’t like each other? All summer long you will see them chasing each other away from the feeder. This typically happens within one species such as a ruby throated hummingbird vs another ruby throated. Also, if nectar is scarce and there are too many hummingbirds around to chase off that may make a difference as well.

The chasing has already begun here in NE Atlanta.

https://youtu.be/jiefyzxGeBk

Hummingbirds

How a Hummingbird “Drinks” its Nectar

This is the answer given by Grok/K AI Chat when I asked “

How does a hummingbird use its tongue to drink the nectar?”

Got to love technology now if anyone out there can prove or improve the answer, let us know! Hummingbird sticking out its tongue

A hummingbird uses its tongue in a fascinating and highly efficient way to drink nectar. Unlike humans or many other animals that rely on suction alone, hummingbirds employ a combination of capillary action and a unique tongue structure to extract nectar from flowers.
The hummingbird’s tongue is long, thin, and forked at the tip, splitting into two grooves. For years, scientists thought the tongue worked like a simple straw, using capillary action (the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without external forces) to draw nectar up into the bird’s mouth. However, more recent research has revealed a more dynamic process.
When a hummingbird extends its tongue into a flower, the forked tips spread apart and the grooves collapse. As the tongue dips into the nectar, the grooves rapidly open and close, trapping the liquid inside through a pumping mechanism. This action is powered by the elasticity of the tongue and the bird’s quick movements—hummingbirds can lick up to 10-15 times per second! The nectar is then pulled up the grooves and into the bird’s mouth, where it swallows the sweet reward.
This efficient system allows hummingbirds to consume nectar quickly, which is critical for their high-energy lifestyle. They need to eat frequently—sometimes consuming more than their body weight in nectar daily—to fuel their rapid wingbeats and hovering flight. It’s a remarkable adaptation perfectly suited to their role as pollinators and nectar feeders!
Hummingbirds

Hummingbird Camera + Feeder Combination by Berdz

As the owner of the Sugar Shaker Nectar Maker (R) I get introduced to a lot of hummingbird products. This “Berdz” camera + feeder is an excellent way to get up close and personal with your backyard hummingbirds without disturbing them in any way.

Easy to use, Easy to install, Very Robust design. Check it out here:

Hummingbird Feeders | Sugar Shaker Nectar Maker – Perfect Hummingbird and Oriole Nectar EVERY TIME!