Small hummingbirds making big buzz around state

For such a tiny creature, the hummingbird makes quite an impression on us.

They are highly popular with residents who put up sugar water feeders for them. Birders keep track of the seasonal comings and goings of the little swift fliers who make long migrations. And hummingbirds are the focus of any number of myths and misconceptions.

Let's tackle some of these falsehoods first.

There is no set time for taking down hummingbird feeders. The belief that leaving them up too long will cause the birds to stick around and freeze to death when cold weather comes is not true. When the bird's biological clocks tell them it is time to fly south, they'll do just that. They'll leave your abundant sugar water without hesitation.

Most bird experts advise leaving the filled feeders in place even after you're not seeing hummers any longer. Some late travelers may pass your way and need some nutrition.

Hummingbirds fly across the Gulf of Mexico by hitching rides on the backs of Canada geese. This is another myth that won't go away.

It's the hummers who migrate to Central America and to South America. Canada geese don't. The geese stop this side of the gulf, and some like the giant Canadas now abundant in Arkansas don't migrate at all.

An interesting note is how this myth of the hummingbird riding on a goose's back started. Supposedly it was John J. Audubon who started it. Audubon said he once shot a goose, and when he picked it up, a hummingbird flew away. Audubon did not say the hummer was riding on the goose's back or that either one of the birds was migrating.

Blame it on the best known name in birds, and on distortion in the repeating of stories.

That long bill on a hummingbird is not a suction device. They don't suck nectar from flowers. The bill guides a long slender tongue, and the birds lap up the nectar.

You don't need to color the sugar water with red food coloring. Experts advise against this as it may introduce an unwanted chemical to the birds. No coloring is needed. The birds will find the food and make use of it.

Planting only red flowers isn't needed to attract hummingbirds to your area. Plant any kind of flowers. There could be some truth to hummers liking red flowers, but it's not a strong item in their daily activities.

Hummingbirds travel in groups when they migrate, and this period is underway now across Arkansas. These aren't family groups, however. Male hummingbirds tend to head south a little earlier than females, and the immatures of both sexes often hang back with the females.

This migration, again, is based on the birds' instincts. They often will move out of an area that is heavy in blooming flowers and sugar water-filled feeders.

Only one species of hummingbird is common in Arkansas. That is the ruby-throat. Males have the red throats, and females don't.

Several other varieties show up occasionally in Arkansas, and news of these appearances usually travels rapidly among bird enthusiasts. Most of the other hummingbird species are found in western states. In contrast to the one species in Arkansas, Arizona has 18 species as regular residents.

Hummingbird watchers give attention to the sugar water offerings and to plentiful flowers in the yard. A hummingbird's diet, though, is high in protein, and this comes from insects. They catch and eat flies, gnats, mosquitoes, even spiders. The nectar and sugar water function for energy building.

(Log Cabin outdoor writer Joe Mosby can be contacted by e-mail at jhmosby@cyberback.com.)