Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

From the first breadcrumbs she helped you toss on the lawn for the birds, your mother has nurtured your love of the natural world around you. This Mother’s Day, why not help her foster a closer relationship with Mother Nature by creating a backyard habitat for one of her favorite creatures?

“Just as every mother is unique and wonderful, hummingbirds are unlike any other species of bird,” says John Schaust, chief naturalist of Wild Birds Unlimited. “Beautiful and delicate, they are also capable of amazing feats of strength and endurance, just like Mom. With a few simple touches, you can create an environment that will draw hummingbirds to Mom’s backyard throughout the season.”

The 320 species of hummingbirds live only in the Americas, and only about 16 species can be found in North America.
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In most areas, the tiny wonders arrive in the south as early as January or February, and make their way north by April or May. Because hummingbirds use so much energy flying, they need to eat up to twice their weight in nectar or other foods each day. The hummingbird’s voracious appetite creates a great opportunity for humans to enjoy their company.

“All birds, including hummingbirds, have basic needs for their habitat,” says Schaust. “They require food, water, shelter and a place to raise their babies.”

To create Mom’s hummingbird habitat, first decide if her backyard meets the requirements of shelter and a place to nest. Does the yard have mature trees or are there trees nearby where the birds could nest? Hummingbirds will only nest in trees, and each nest is a golf-ball-sized concoction of lichen, thistle down and spider webbing.

Next, tackle their nutritional requirements. Nectar makes up a good portion of the hummingbird’s diet. In the wild, they draw nectar from flowers using their long, slender tongues. You can create nectar for them by mixing one part regular table sugar to four parts boiled water. Be sure not to boil the water with the sugar already added. Mix in the sugar after the water has come to a boil. Allow the nectar to cool completely before filling your feeder and refrigerate any extra. Never add food color to your nectar or use artificial sweeteners, honey or fruit juice to feed your hummingbirds.

Choose a hummingbird feeder based on its appeal for the birds, not on how well it fits into Mom’s outdoor décor. Wild Birds Unlimited sells a 16-ounce polycarbonate feeder designed based on the advice of hummingbird experts. The feeder is easy to fill, hang or post mount, is dishwasher safe and equipped with a built-in ant moat to keep away one of the perennial pests of hummingbird habitats.

Hummingbirds also eat small insects for protein. You can further enhance Mom’s hummingbird habitat by placing overripe fruit in hanging baskets near your feeder. This will attract small fruit-loving flies that hummingbirds like to dine on.

The next step is to add a hummingbird-friendly water feature to the habitat. Hummingbirds prefer to fly through moving water, rather than perch on the edge of a bird bath. So consider installing a birdbath with a drip feature, or placing an independent dripper – such as Wild Birds Unlimited’s Lily Pad Dripper – on a tree or pole near where the hummingbirds eat.

Finally, create Mom’s place in the habitat by arranging a comfortable lawn chair and shade umbrella in a quiet spot where she’ll be able to watch the hummingbirds visit. For more ideas on creating a backyard habitat for hummingbirds and other wild feathered friends, visit www.wbu.com.