Re: Hummingbird Feeder
Karen,
NOTHING but boiled white granulated sugar and water should
be provided in feeders. The Koolaid contains food colouring
(at the least) and the chemicals that constitute the
artificial flavouring. In such a tiny creature, one can
only marvel that they can fly away after consuming it.
White sugar in a 20-25% solution most nearly duplicates the
nectar of flowers. Flower nectar is colourless and does not
contain chemicals or other sugars besides glucose although
it may contain proteins from insects and pollen.
There is a farm near here that uses blueberry pancake syprup
in their feeders - "the birds love it" they say. I think
blueberry pancake syrup is probably entirely artificial - if
it contains blueberries, the sugar would be fructose, not
the glucose these birds require. When you realize that
hummingbirds can only sustain their high-energy output for a
maximum of 12-15 minutes without feeding, the feeders draw
them like moths to a flame. They eat other things as well
like small flying insects and tree sap.
Banding of birds here after their journey from Central
America to Vancouver Island and as far north as Alaska, and
again being caught and studied after their return south, is
showing some detrimental effects from what human beings put
in all those feeders along the way. Granted, the feeders do
increase the survival rate of these little birds but studies
are showing infertility and hardening of the liver.
Please tell everyone you can that ONLY white granulated
sugar and water (boiled) in scrupulously clean feeders is
the only acceptable substitute for flower nectar and the
well-being of these birds.
Diane Pertson
Subject: Re: Hummingbird Feeder
> My uncle has lived in the Adirondack National Park forest
preserve in upstate
> New York since the 60's and has always provided a Koolaid
(Hawaian Punch flavor)
> stand for his hummingbirds. I suppose it resembles a
hamster water tube. The
> birds flit in and out in seconds to drink the "dew.' Do
you have some
> information as to why this shouldn't be done? Is the
sugar harmful? The
> hummingbirds seem to love it.
> Karen Vavourakis
>
