Hummingbirds that frequent the Treasure Valley
Of all the groups of wild birds out there hummingbirds have to be the most interesting and most enjoyable to watch. Of the couple hundred varieties of hummingbirds out there about twenty varieties come to the United States and that is it! Lucky for us in Idaho we get at least five kinds versus the eastern U.S. that settles for one kind. I must point out that we will on occasion get a few strays/vagrants too.
Considering how fast these little miracles of nature move they are hard to identify but here in the treasure valley four have been documented. We have the Rufous, the Anna’s hummingbird, the Broad Tailed and the Calliope.
To help in your bird watching of our little friends Zamzows offers a complete line of hummingbird feeders and nectar. We have smaller feeders for the beginner to larger feeders for the enthusiast. Zamzows also has a feeder that you can attach to your window. We recommend the smaller feeders for the beginner for a few reasons, mainly the smaller feeders are easier to clean and keeping your feeder clean is extremely IMPORTANT! You don’t want mold, bacteria, or other micro-organisms growing in your feeder that could hurt the birds you want to enjoy.
You can also plant a rich variety of flowering plants that will attract hummingbirds to your home. During the gardening season please stop in and we can offer you a great selection of plants for the little friends. I would like to point out that hummingbirds eat insects as well as nectar so please use care in dealing with insect/pest problems in your yard. Please consult with an expert at any of our 10 stores for safe ways to deal with garden problems that won’t harm hummingbirds.
Leaving a feeder out into late fall is also a good idea for spotting our friends at the end of the season and you might also spot a few strays that don’t frequent our area. Also at the end of summer hummers need all the help they can get before migrating south on a very log trip, and don’t worry about interfering with their migration either, because that is instinct.
Fun fact: the earliest sighting of a hummer here in Idaho was on March 27th, 1994. Normally hummers return in mid to late April.
To see a great video of humming birds feeding check out our blog! Click here.