# Hummingbird question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 23, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944 "2004-03-23T18:16:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/1 "2004-03-23T18:16:22Z")
I was interested recently to learn that hummingbirds are native to the New World - North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. How the early explorers’ minds must have been blown to see these little guys zooming about like flying jewels! My question is, have hummingbirds been brought back to the Old World by misguided people to establish a population there? I know we in the New World have alien species and was wondering if the reverse was true, at least in the case of hummingbirds. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/2 "2004-03-23T19:02:10Z")
There are hummingbirds in zoos in Europe and other places, but the ecological niche occupied by hummingbirds in the New World is occupied by [sunbirds](http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/sunbirds.html) in the Old. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/3 "2004-03-23T19:05:23Z")
Many species have been introduced to the old world from other parts. Canaries, for instance, are native to the (shockingly) Canary Islands. Once imported a cargo was set free and BANG! Canaries everywhere. It wouldn’t surprise me if hummmingbirds were imported to the old word but I’d be concerned that it would be too cold for them to live in the wild. Even with the gulf stream warming Europe it can get cold in the winter. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/4 "2004-03-23T19:38:45Z")
Have a look at my post, **Jonathan**. Apart from anything else, the Old World consists of more than Europe – the Canary Islands are part of the Old World. It’s true that species have been imported into the wild in Europe from the Americas though. Many of them, such as coypu and mink, have been mammals that were intended to be bred for commercial purposes, and some have become pests or have competed too successfully with native species. Grey squirrels have almost entirely displaced the native red in Great Britain, for instance; mink that have escaped from, or been deliberately released from fur farms are a significant nuisance; the American ruddy duck has caused the endangerment of the similar Spanish White-headed duck, etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/5 "2004-03-23T21:10:08Z")
Okay just a slight hijack here and maybe everyone knows this already. However… It’s good to remember that the hummingbird has 3 unique qualities: 1. Smallest bird 2. Fastest wingbeat 3. Only bird that can fly backwards Who knows? This may come in handy for Trivial Pursuit, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Jeopardy, pickup lines in singles bars, etc. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/6 "2004-03-23T21:32:55Z")
I should mention what made me think of this. I was reading Marcel Pagnol’s _The Glory Of My Father_, which is set in France, and the young Pagnol tells his little brother that “there’s a wounded hummingbird in the garden.” This made me wonder if hummingbirds had in fact been introduced into warmer climes, like Provence, Italy or Africa. Ye gods! If hummingbirds were ever introduced into sub-Saharan Africa, the whole region would be buzzing with 'em. Southeast Asia would also be ideal hummingbird habitat. So let’s not sneak any over in our suitcases, okay? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/7 "2004-03-23T22:15:48Z")
I can state categorically that no species of hummingbird has been introduced and established in the wild anywhere in the Old World. They could in theory survive the climate in Europe, since some species breed as far north as Canada and Alaska in the Americas (migrating to the tropics in the winter). However, Europe lacks flowers specially adapted for hummingbird pollination (trumpet creeper, Indian paintbrush, red columbine, etc.) that are found in North America so they might have a hard time. They might be able to survive in Africa and south Asia by using flowers adapted to sunbird pollination. Incidentally, canaries are named after the Canary Islands, not vice versa. The islands are named after dogs. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/8 "2004-03-23T22:23:58Z")
**Calibri** Would those dogs be the Presa Canarios ? The dogs that have the mental stability of Gary Busey and Crispin Glover? Those were the dogs that killed that woman in that San Francisco apartment if I’m not mistaken. Not a nice breed at all. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/9 "2004-03-23T23:07:21Z")
> [@pugluvr](#): > > Ye gods! If hummingbirds were ever introduced into sub-Saharan Africa, the whole region would be buzzing with 'em. Southeast Asia would also be ideal hummingbird habitat. So let’s not sneak any over in our suitcases, okay? > [@everton](#): > > …the ecological niche occupied by hummingbirds in the New World is occupied by [sunbirds](http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/sunbirds.html) in the Old. As my link explained, they already are in sub-Saharan Africa (where I’ve seen them myself) and South-east Asia. Perhaps Pagnol was talking about a visiting sunbird and it was mistranslated into hummingbird? According to [this site](http://www.ecanarias.com/sx/en/e/c296bebc7fc596cec47fbc968a8e928d.html), the Presa Canario was named after the islands, having been introduced there from Spain. As far as I know, the dogs the islands were named after didn’t belong to any breed that has survived until today. The islands were called _Insulae Canariae_ by the Romans. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/10 "2004-03-23T23:33:00Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Okay just a slight hijack here and maybe everyone knows this already. However… > > It’s good to remember that the hummingbird has 3 unique qualities: > > 1. Smallest bird > 2. Fastest wingbeat > 3. Only bird that can fly backwards > > Who knows? This may come in handy for Trivial Pursuit, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Jeopardy, pickup lines in singles bars, etc. > > 😃 I’d also add to this hijack that the hummingbirds’ taxonomic order, Apodiformes, means “no feet” because the feet on early specimines were so small that they were missed by early biologists attempting to classify them. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/11 "2004-03-23T23:47:59Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > **Calibri** > Would those dogs be the Presa Canarios ? > The dogs that have the mental stability of Gary Busey and Crispin Glover? > Those were the dogs that killed that woman in that San Francisco apartment if I’m not mistaken. > Not a nice breed at all. As **everton** explained, the name dates back to Roman times: From [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Islands) > [@](#): > > The islands were named Canaria (Latin canis, dog) because of the descriptions of the large numbers of wild dogs roaming the islands, first reported by the Roman scholar Pliny. The correct French term for sunbird is _souimanga_, after a species first encounterd in Madagascar. However, informally sunbirds sometimes are referred to as _colibris_, the French (and Spanish) word for hummingbird. However, this does not explain Pagnol’s usage, since sunbirds don’t occur in France. The order Apodiformes includes both swifts and hummingbirds, but the name derives from the common swift _Apus_ which in classical times was supposed to lack feet, because the birds were only seen in flight, never perching, and the feet were too small to see while the bird was flying. However, hummingbirds (family Trochilidae) also have very small feet. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/12 "2004-03-24T14:07:55Z")
I’ve tried to attract them to my garden…I’ve p[lanted flowers and put out feeders…however, I only saw ONE last summer! Yet, a friend who lives in Port Henry NY (updstate) has her garden full of them! How can I make my garden more attractive to these birds? ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/13 "2004-03-24T14:37:53Z")
Hummers like the color red. You can put out a gerbil watering thing (dunno the name) with a little wire perch covered with red cellophane and fill it with sugar water. My uncle would get them using one of those in San Francisco. His cats would see it and they’d crouch down and growl very strangely. They were great to watch. Their feet were so small you couldn’t see them on the perch. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/14 "2004-03-24T17:05:10Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I’ve tried to attract them to my garden…I’ve p[lanted flowers and put out feeders…however, I only saw ONE last summer! > Yet, a friend who lives in Port Henry NY (updstate) has her garden full of them! > How can I make my garden more attractive to these birds? It might take a few years for the presence of a feeder or nectar-bearing plants to draw consistent and devoted visitors. My Mom lives in the coastal Northern California mountains and has had feeders going for years, but since her honeysuckle has gotten big enough, that is all they are interested in anymore. I love standing in my Mom’s garden and watching them feed. They’ll often float within an arm’s reach, shifting a few feet in the air here and there, checking me out on their way in or out for a snack. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/15 "2004-03-25T20:21:19Z")
[Here’s some info on attracting hummingbirds.](http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/top_10_archive/attract_hummingbirds.html) ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummingbird-question/235944/16 "2004-03-26T03:09:33Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I’ve tried to attract them to my garden…I’ve p[lanted flowers and put out feeders…however, I only saw ONE last summer! > Yet, a friend who lives in Port Henry NY (updstate) has her garden full of them! > How can I make my garden more attractive to these birds? For the last couple of years I have been trying to attract more hummingbirds to my yard as well. I saw 4 last year, which was an increase of 100% over the two I saw the year before. If I recall correctly like me you live in New England **ralph124c**? We are probably never going to get as many hummingbirds as someone like **honeydewgrrl** ’s mom in California…they have several species that breed there, while we have only one, the rubythroated. I have embarked on a multi-year plan that includes feeders, non-native annual hanging plants like impatiens and fuschia, and planting a variety of native hummingbird attracting perennials. Hopefully the annuals will keep them interested while the perennials are getting established. My trumpet creeper was a disappointment last year, but the trumpet honeysuckle made up for it by growing like gangbusters. This year I have seeds of salvia, bee balm, columbine, lupine and cardinal flower to plant (note to self…get those seeds started indoors NOW!) I finally found a nursery near me that carries trumpet creeper in mid and late summer so if mine continues to not flourish I am going to buy more (it is supposed to be ridiculously easy to grow, in fact it is essentially a weed, but mine is a weakling).