However, unlike hummingbirds which can hover while feeding, butterflies can’t sip from many tubular flowers on which there is no place to stand. In contrast, bees hardly see red flowers unless they have ultra-violet markings called “bee lines.” If you’re wondering about butterflies, they have strong color vision and see a broad range of colors. However, hummers have excellent vision, especially for red and any colors in its range, such as oranges, pinks, and many shades of purple including lavenders and blues. Unlike bees, which are attracted to the fragrance of flowers, hummingbirds have a weak sense of smell. This leads to another important point about regional native species - they are adjusted to regional growing conditions.įinally, you’ve probably heard that hummingbirds adore red. Along with close relatives, such as asters and sunflowers, zinnias are drought and heat tolerant. Zinnias have a “composite” structure of flat petals surrounding clusters of tiny tubular blossoms. Some plants that don’t at first appear to have tubular flowers, such as zinnias (a Southwest native), are hummingbird favorites. are native to Africa) as well as foxgloves (Europe) and hollyhocks (Europe and Asia). For example, hummingbird plant lists include hot poker plants ( Kniphofia spp. Yet this isn’t to say that hummingbirds won’t drink the nectar of plants from other parts of the nation or the world. One of the strongest arguments for the native plant movement is that native birds and insects are drawn to the flora that has fed them for millennia. Pollination occurs as the birds travel from one blossom to another. As hummingbirds gather nectar, they accidentally collect pollen on their beaks, heads, and feathers. Scientists theorize that the long beaks and tongues of hummingbirds co-evolved with tubular shaped flowers. Researchers estimate ancient hummingbirds lived there about 42 million years ago when evolving “away from the swifts, their closest living relatives.” Hummingbird Habitat Preferences In the July 2018 issue of Audubon, Jillian Mock reports that a number of hummingbird fossils have been found in Europe since early in this century. Here’s another fact that might be fun to share at garden parties: Although hummingbirds are residents of the western world, that hasn’t always been the case. Nesting areas generally are different from winter homes. don’t necessarily live in those areas year round. Hummingbirds that overwinter in southern parts of the U.S. But of the more than 300 species of hummingbirds from Alaska to the tip of South America, only 19 species migrate through North America. These include the Broad-billed, Magnificent, Violet-Crowned, and Xanthus hummingbirds as well as a Rufous/Allen’s hybrid. Other kinds of hummingbirds may make surprise visits, according to the San Diego County Bird Atlas. The Foundation’s website provides links to descriptions of each species, which aid in identifying which ones are in your backyard. The Foundation reports that Calliope, Costa’s, and Rufous hummingbirds are seasonal occupants whereas Allen’s, Anna’s, and Black-chinned hummingbirds generally stay year round. The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Sun Valley notes six kinds of hummingbirds that are common here. While gardeners in cold winter areas must say goodbye to hummingbirds in fall as they migrate south, some hummingbirds live in Southern California year round. What does it take to lure these visitors to Southern California backyards, and how long will they stay at your open-air B-n-B? But before we even go there, which members of their family can you expect? Migratory and Year-Round Hummingbirds Vividly colored and aeronautically amazing, hummingbirds attract us to gardening as much as we attract them to our gardens by creating welcoming habitat. Horticulturists theorize that this is why the birds seem to prefer flowering plants native to this half of the world. Early Spanish explorers to the New World called hummingbirds joyas voladores or “flying jewels.” They had never before seen the tiny, brightly colored birds with long needle-like beaks, because hummingbirds only live in the Western Hemisphere.
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