There's a lot of bogus ideas out there about these brilliant birds. Learn the truth behind these common hummingbird myths.
Myth: Hummingbirds Only Like Red Flowers
Although hummingbirds do recognize the color red and learn to strongly associate it with food, they don’t exclusively visit red flowers. Hummingbirds frequently visit purple, orange and yellow blooms, too, and ultimately, they seek nectar rather than a specific color. Hummingbirds learn which flowers offer nourishment regardless of color, and they’ll return to a variety of colorful flowers that offer food, rather than specifically red flowers.
Myth: Adding Red Dye to Feeders Brings in Hummingbirds
Those who believe hummingbirds only stop by red flowers will do what it takes to add more red to their yard — but in the case of red dye, that can be harmful. Hummingbirds drink clear sugar water and will frequently visit feeders that contain it. Red dye, on the other hand, can harm hummingbirds because of the artificial ingredients it contains. To protect hummingbirds’ health and leave these hummingbird myths behind, use this simple hummingbird nectar recipe and skip additives.
Myth: Keeping Feeders up Stops Hummingbirds From Migrating
This myth drives well-meaning birders to take down their feeders in early fall every year, right when migrating hummingbirds most need extra energy. Somewhere along the line, a myth gained steam that if backyard birders leave hummingbird feeders up past summertime, their backyard hummingbirds won’t migrate on schedule and will be stuck in the snow and cold when winter arrives. While that’s a distressing thought, we’re happy to report it’s not true. A hummingbird will migrate regardless of whether your feeder is still up, thanks to its hardwired migration instincts. Plus, keeping feeders up boosts your chances of seeing an unexpected hummingbird species passing through your area.
Myth: Hummingbirds Don’t Have Feet
Just because you don’t often see them doesn’t mean they’re not there! Yes, hummingbirds do have feet. However, their feet work different from many other birds’. Hummingbirds can’t walk — although they can shuffle! — and their feet are mostly used for perching and grasping. It’s thought that their small feet evolved this way to help them weigh less, which makes for more efficient, faster flight.
Myth: Hummingbirds Can’t Smell
While it was once thought that hummingbirds lacked a sense of smell, these hummingbird myths have now been proven false. A study from University of California – Riverside demonstrated that hummingbirds can, in fact, smell insects. This sense helps keep the birds out of danger, as they seem to remember and avoid the scent of insects or chemicals that can harm them.
Myth: Geese Help Hummingbirds Migrate
This would be adorable if it were true. Sorry to say, it’s not. Somehow, somewhere, a belief took root that hummingbirds rest on the backs of geese during migration. The thinking there was likely that hummingbirds are small, and geese are large, and hummingbirds would need to conserve energy during migration. While we do love the mental image of a tiny hummingbird hanging out on a goose’s back as it flies — like an avian dragon rider — this isn’t how hummingbirds get to their wintering grounds. Hummingbirds, like all other birds, make the incredible journey on their own.
Myth: Hummingbirds Only Eat Nectar and Sugar Water
We humans might like this to be true, considering it would mean we’d see these birds at feeders constantly. However, hummingbirds don’t survive solely on sugar water and nectar plants. In fact, their survival also depends in part on consuming insects, which provide them with a valuable protein source. Ruby-throated hummingbirds, for example, eat gnats, fruit flies, spiders, and even mosquitoes.
Myth: All U.S. Hummingbirds Migrate South for Winter
For those who live in the northern range of ruby-throated hummingbirds, this is a convincing hummingbird myth. While it seems to make sense on the surface, it’s not true. Some species of hummingbirds do migrate out of the United States in fall and come back in spring, but others stick around year-round, even in snowy areas. Birders in the Pacific Northwest, for example, sees Anna’s hummingbirds even in winter. These birds survive cold winters at least in part due to milder temperatures and food availability within the region, but also through entering torpor to conserve energy.
Myth: Hummingbirds Sip Nectar Through a “Straw”
Nope! We understand why it might seem reasonable to believe hummingbirds drink nectar through a “straw,” of sorts, but that’s just not how these birds’ beaks work. Instead of sucking nectar up, they use their tiny, lightning-fast tongues to lap up nectar from flowers and feeders rather than sipping it through their straw-shaped beak. A hummingbird’s tongue also features grooves and fringes to trap nectar, which is then squeezed out when the bird’s tongue re-enters its mouth.
Myth: Hummingbirds Don’t Need Fresh Water
Hummingbirds do fulfill some of their hydration requirements from sugar water or flower nectar, but they still drink and need water for survival. In addition, hummingbirds will use fountains and hummingbird misters as a means of getting their feathers clean, just like other birds using bird baths.
