National Hummingbird Day, celebrated on the first Saturday of September, honors the smallest and arguably most dazzling birds in the Americas. It falls as many hummingbirds are fueling up for their remarkable fall migration, some crossing hundreds of miles of open water on wings that beat dozens of times a second. Early September is the perfect moment to give them a proper send-off.
Tiny birds, enormous lives
Hummingbirds live at a pace that is hard to fathom. Their hearts race, their wings blur, and they must eat almost constantly to survive, visiting hundreds of flowers a day. To make it through the night, some drop into a deep, cold torpor that slows their bodies to a crawl. A hummingbird may weigh less than a nickel, yet fly thousands of miles in a season. For all that intensity, they are curious and bold, often buzzing up to inspect anyone standing near their favorite blooms.
Feed them the right way
A hummingbird feeder is one of the easiest ways to help, but only if you keep it clean. Fill it with a simple solution of one part white sugar to four parts water, no red dye, no honey, no shortcuts. In warm weather, sugar water spoils fast, so change it and rinse the feeder every few days to prevent mold that can sicken birds. In fall, keep feeders up until you have not seen a visitor for a couple of weeks; it will not stop anyone from migrating.
Grow a hummingbird garden
Feeders are a supplement; flowers are the real thing. Hummingbirds are drawn to tubular, nectar-rich blooms, often red or orange, like bee balm, salvia, trumpet vine, and columbine. A garden with something flowering from spring through fall gives them natural food and a reason to return. Even a few potted salvias on a balcony can pull them in if you live along their route. Skip the pesticides, since hummingbirds also eat tiny insects and spiders for protein, especially when feeding young.
Sit still and watch
The best way to mark the day is to stop and pay attention. Set up near a feeder or a patch of their favorite flowers, stay quiet, and wait. You will start to notice individuals, who chases whom, who guards the best feeder, who is just passing through. Watching a hummingbird hang weightless in the air, then vanish, is a small daily miracle that this holiday exists to celebrate.
How to celebrate
- 1Hang a clean feeder
Fill a hummingbird feeder with one part white sugar to four parts water, no red dye, no honey. In warm weather, change it and rinse the feeder every few days to prevent harmful mold.
- 2Plant tubular blooms
Hummingbirds love nectar-rich, tubular flowers, often red or orange: bee balm, salvia, trumpet vine, and columbine. A garden that flowers spring through fall gives them a reason to return.
- 3Keep feeders up for fall
Leaving feeders out in early fall will not stop anyone from migrating; it helps them fuel up. Keep them going until you have not seen a visitor for a couple of weeks.
- 4Skip the bug spray
Hummingbirds eat tiny insects and spiders for protein, especially when feeding young. Pesticides wipe out that food source, so go chemical-free where they forage.
- 5Sit still and watch
Set up near a feeder or their favorite flowers, stay quiet, and wait. You will start to recognize individuals, who chases whom, who guards the best perch. It is a small daily miracle.