If you love watching hummingbirds in the summer, get ready because Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are coming. But they will fly right past your house unless you give them a reason to stay. Making your garden or deck hummingbird-friendly is the best way to get Ruby-throated Hummers to nest near YOUR nest. It's easy, and you can do it!
...hummingbird-friendly is the best way to get Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to nest near YOUR nest.
At one time, in Missouri, there weren't many sightings of hummingbirds. People would only catch a glimpse of them from time to time. But one day, a group of hummingbirds was spotted in a garden in St. Louis. Curious birdwatchers started visiting the garden frequently to observe the birds closely. They noticed that these tiny birds were attracted to the bright-colored flowers.
Why can't we all just get along?
The word spread quickly, and many people started planting red and orange native plants and flowers that attracted hummingbirds. Soon, sightings of hummingbirds became more common across the state of Missouri.
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Thanks to the efforts of gardeners and nature lovers, hummingbirds have been successfully attracted to Missouri. They now visit the state every year during their migration season to raise their young. People now eagerly await their arrival and cherish seeing these magnificent birds up close.
Today hummingbirds have become a common sight in Missouri during the spring and summer months when they visit the state's numerous gardens and feeders stocked with sugar water. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are the most common species in Missouri, but other species, such as the Rufous Hummingbird and Calliope Hummingbird, have also been spotted from time to time.
The first recorded observation of a hummingbird in Missouri was in 1854 when John Audubon spotted a Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the state.
The Missouri Department of Conservation tracks the movement of hummingbirds through the state. This helps birdwatchers know when to expect these beautiful birds to arrive and depart each year. Hummingbirds are important pollinators and are vital in maintaining the state's biodiversity.
Visit hummingbirdcentral.com for a current migration map.
MDC says Plant red and orange flowers
Missouri native plants are an important part of your plan to attract hummingbirds. Flowers supply hummingbirds with nutrient-rich nectar that can provide up to 90 percent of their diet. Ruby-throated Hummers especially love red or orange tubular flowers, such as those found on trumpet creeper, native honeysuckles, and red buckeye...
Cardinal flower
Jewelweed or touch-me-not
Royal catchfly
Fire pink
Wild bergamot
Trumpet creeper
Native honeysuckles
Red buckeye (a small tree)
Columbine
...hummingbirds especially love red or orange tubular flowers, such as those found on trumpet creeper...
One simple way to attract hummingbirds is to get a hummingbird feeder and fill it with a sugar solution. Providing a complete diet in your feeder is optional because the birds will balance their diets on their own.
Caution: Never use honey or artificial sweeteners! Honey mixed with water can grow a dangerous fungus that will attack the birds' tongues.
When to put out feeders
The best time to put up hummingbird feeders in Missouri is around April 25, when hummers return to Missouri. If you start feeding them when they arrive, they are less likely to move on. Once they find a great spot with a good food source, they build tiny nests and lay tiny eggs. The chicks will be out of the nest in early September.
As the nights become regularly cold, hummingbirds begin to migrate south—late September, and by October 10, they are usually gone.
So hurry up and GET OUT THERE! There's no time to waste.
-Supreme Leader 573 Magazine
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