Hummingbird Happiness: Fermented Nectar?

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Fermented Nectar?

She looks
a little tipsy;)
Did you know
that a hummingbird's feet are so tiny they are unable to walk or hop? Their feet are used for perching, scratching, and preening.

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Birdie Rescue

Many years ago, I found an injured hummingbird at our local Towne Center....
A spot of glittering, iridescent green caught my eye as I rushed to complete some errands before heading to school to get my son. The tiny bird (barely alive) was laying motionless on a cement sidewalk on a very hot day. I believe the bird had probably flown into one of the plexiglass panels which enclosed an outdoor area near the movie theaters. I scooped it up, headed to my car, and placed it in some Kleenex tissues stuffed into a cupholder. We drove to school, then home.

At home, the little hummer was able to swallow some homemade hummingbird nectar. We were hopeful! I contacted a local veterinarian specializing in birds (but not wild ones). He gave me the number of a "hummingbird lady" who rescues injured hummingbirds. Since transporting the bird to her home was not an option, she diagnosed a possible head injury and told us how to treat the tiny animal. We followed her advice and by nightfall, the hummingbird was flying in our house. In the morning, we set it free:)

The Hummingbird Society
If you are a hummingbird fan, visit their website.

If you find an injured hummingbird,
the Hummingbird Society wants you to keep these points in mind:

• Hummingbirds fed on a diet of sugar-water alone will die, and a full-nutrition formula for them is not available to the general public. You must seek competent, licensed help to assure a bird's survival, and you must do it quickly.

• Keeping a hummingbird in captivity is a felony offense in the U.S., as is possession of a nest or any part of the bird (such as a feather)--all of which is another reason to transfer the hummingbird to a rehabilitator.

• Mother hummingbirds rarely abandon a nest, although it can and does happen. Never assume that abandonment has occurred; you must watch continuously for at least an hour, sometimes more, to be sure she is not returning. In general, if the chicks look healthy, the mother is taking good care of them. Feedings can be extremely quick and surprisingly infrequent in some stages of the chick's development.

Hummingbird Rehabilition Facilities in Southern California
(approved by the CA Department of Fish and Game)

LA County (Anaheim)
Hummingbirds/Helen Bishop
714-635-3368

San Diego County (Chula Vista)
Hummingbird Rescue Center
619-420-5156

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Fermented Nectar?

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