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WATCH: How you can help hungry hummingbirds flying home for spring

They’re on their way back from South America over the winter

  • Planting native flowers attracts them
  • Bird feeder maintenance is vital
  • Making bird friendly yards may help conservation efforts

After a winter vacation, hummingbirds are embarking on their long journey home to the Thompson-Okanagan.

According to one regional bird enthusiast, now’s a good time to put up your bird feeder for one of his favorite species.

“They’re almost kind of magical in how they work,” Wild Birds Unlimited owner Kurtis Houston, told Kelowna10. His store specializes in the hobby of backyard bird feeders.

“They’re unlike other birds and the fact they’re only around for such a short time always keeps them interesting and exciting.”

He partners with Birds Canada, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the National Audubon Society to research the wellbeing of fowl that frequent the Okanagan. The teams also work to find ways to save the depleting species’ numbers.

Hummingbirds’ primary food source is nectar from flowers that haven’t bloomed yet. This makes feeders a big help after a 3,000-plus km migration.

There are three main migratory species: the orange and green Rufous, the Calliope, which has a magenta-coloured throat, and the Black-Chinned Hummingbird. Most return the first week of April but a few early birds may arrive earlier.

The Anna’s Hummingbird does stay year-round and can be spotted over winter.

To attract hummingbirds, Houston said you must create a welcoming habitat.

“Not just by putting up hummingbird feeders and bird baths but by promoting native [plant] species and a healthy ecology in our yards.”

The birds are partial to tubular flower, especially red ones. Houston said they like petunias and salvias, to name a few. Shrubbery also helps them nest and to hide from predators.

It’s also helpful to avoid synthetic fertilizers, which kill insects beneficial to a healthy ecosystem and are harmful to small animals. He said organic gardens tend to grow well compared to their synthetic counterparts.

Choosing a proper bird feeder is key as well as maintaining it. It’s important to find one that doesn’t leak, which can, inadvertently, attract unwanted pests.

Some feeders have built in ant motes or other predator guards, just in case. Without that feature, stinging insects may gain access to the nectar. If they hide in the feeding hole they may bite the bird’s tongue, which can prove fatal.

It’s important to ensure the birds are drinking fresh nectar so it’s best to change the solution weekly, before it becomes cloudy.

Not only will these efforts bring these beautiful creatures close enough to admire but, according to Houston, may help a struggling population.

Depletion of viable land, increased pesticide use, and habitat destruction have heavily reduced their numbers in the wild.

“With the amount of lawn space in North America if you converted even 10 to 15 per cent of your lawn into ecosystems for our wild birds, the millions of acres we could convert into these habitats would be amazing.”

Published 2022-03-30 by David Hanson

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