Nature

An Easy Food Recipe to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Backyard

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Tony Maples Photography

 

According to sources, hummingbirds can most often be found in parts of Texas from March through September, depending on the weather. Globally, there are over 300 species of hummingbirds, nine of which can be found in the Lone Star State. These delicate creatures create an enormous amount of excitement when they make their way to Texas. The birdwatching community often looks for ways to ensure they’re well-fed and return to these stomping grounds on an annual basis. Hence, the search for hummingbird food recipes.

That’s correct. According to reports, hummingbird food recipes were the second most searched recipe on Google for 2018. Upon leaving southern migration hotspots, hummingbirds will traditionally reach parts of Texas mid-March through mid-May. Their breeding period will begin around early April and will continue into early September. Birders, and even those who don’t usually generally take a keen interest in viewing species of an avian nature, have grown an acute interest in attracting hummingbirds, feeding them, and simply watching their fluttering movements. Although they most often breed closer to woodlands and flowering meadows, hummingbirds can be drawn to nest near the presence of a feeder, even in a city setting. So, take heart. You, too, can offer this gorgeous creature a great smorgasbord in your own Texas backyard or on your front porch using an easy-to-make hummingbird food recipe like the one below.

HUMMINGBIRD FOOD

An Easy Food Recipe to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Backyard

Photo: Pixabay.com

Key ingredients for this recipe include:

Sugar

Water (yes, that’s really all there is to it!)

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute has provided the measurements and process for preparing standard hummingbird food (or nectar, as it’s often called), which is free of red dye. Although previous store-bought versions would appear to have this color included as a necessity, perhaps to better attract the birds, such is not the case. This recipe should adequately attract and support hummingbirds at your feeder over the course of the season (for which you’ll need to continue remixing batches). The site identifies that these beautiful birds need to double their body weight to fuel their migration from such breeding grounds as can be found in Texas to their wintering grounds. Happy birding!