Fascinating, flashy flying skills and with the most interesting mix of colors on their plumage, Hummingbirds are a small species that are only capable of surviving in places where all their needs are met. And for some hummingbirds, the ideal hummingbird habitat, turns out to be the backyards of our homes.
So, sometimes, you might see hummingbirds in your backyards, making a permanent home of their own or just visiting now and then. Have you ever wondered why? Exactly what is it about your backyard that attracts hummingbirds to it? Let’s find out today!
1 . The Flowers
Hummingbirds are no doubt attracted to places they can get abundant food. As their main feeding preference is nectar, if your backyard has lots of flowers that are rich in nectar, that’s probably one of the reasons hummingbirds keep showing up there. They also seem to have an attraction towards the color of the flower and as such, they mostly prefer red colored flowers, though seeing some coral or pink colored flowers would just as easily get a hummingbird’s attention.
The shape of the flowers in your backyard also plays some role in what constitutes an ideal hummingbird habitat. As they have a thick but long beak, they find it easier to drink from flowers that have a slightly tube-like shape.
2. The Insects
While a hummingbirds immediate choice of food will always be nectar, the sugary syrup isn’t the only thing they like. Protein is something they need and as people tend to have trees in their backyards which attracts lots of insects, it in turn attracts hummingbirds. n
In some ways, the hummingbirds are doing a favor to you. Instead of having to get rid of the insects yourself, you can rely on the friendly hummingbird to pop in and eat some insects, cleaning your backyard while having their fill of nutrients.
3. Mini Fountain
This might surprise you a little but if you are the type that really likes decorating their backyard and have some great features in your garden, one of them might be a mini water fountain. And if you have a mini water fountain, that’s definitely a call to the hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds might take baths every once in a while but mostly, they prefer giving their feathers a little sprinkle, which they can do under backyard appropriate mini fountains.
So, one of the biggest reasons for hummingbirds’ tendency towards backyards might be a person accidentally creating a hummingbird habitat they had no idea of.
4. Out of Habit
Hummingbirds might be visiting your backyard just because it has become a habit for them. Hummingbirds are tiny creatures dealing with a large world. If they want to get their food, they have to remember the best places where they found it. If they find flowers that appeal to them in someone’s backyard once, they keep on returning to that backyard because that’s where they know their food source is.
As scientists would call it, Hummingbirds spatial memory is really well-developed, which aids them in making their way back to someone’s backyards, where they become a permanent show at some point because of the ideal hummingbird habitat.
Final Thoughts
Well, now you know what’s so attractive about backyards for hummingbirds. It’s pretty much the same reason any other place on earth would be attractive to these tiny little creatures, hummingbirds or any other species. Ultimately, birds are trying to survive just like the rest of us. And if for that, it means, making a home in someone’s backyard for hummingbirds, well, that’s what they are going to do.
