It's hummingbird season in Colorado and officials are urging people to check for their tiny nests before you trim your trees and shrubs.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service posted a photo on Facebook to give some perspective about just how small they really are.
(PHOTO by Kelly Campbell)
"Hummingbird eggs are tiny, about the size of jelly beans!" FWS officials said.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds - which visit Colorado - have nests about the size of a thimble, according to the FWS website.
Migrating hummingbirds usually arrive in Colorado in late April and leave in early September, according to Sibylle Johnson, with AvianWeb.com.
"The most common hummingbird species are Broad-tailed, Rufous Hummingbirds, and Black-chinned Hummingbirds," Johnson states on beautyofbirds.com.
There are also eight other hummingbird species that have been reported in Colorado, including Calliope, Blue-throated, Magnificent, Anna's, Ruby-throated, Broad-billed, White-eared, Green Violet-ear, according to hummingbirds.net.
If you want to attract hummingbirds to your yard, beautyofbirds.com says hummingbirds favor red blossoms with a tubular shape. They also feed on pink, orange, peach and purple flowers.
They recommend the following plants:
- Bee balm (Monarda)
- California fuchsia (Zauschneria californica) ... Cardinal flower (Lobelia) ... Catmint (Nepeta) ... Columbine (Aquilegia)
- Delphinium (Delphinium)
- Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii), Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)
- Garden phlox (Phlox)
- Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
- Indian paintbrush (Castilleja integra)
- Maltese cross (Lychnis),
- Pineleaf penstemon (Penstemon pinifolious)
- Salvia (Salvia), Spider flower (Cleome), Sunset hyssop (Agastache rupestris)
However, the FWS urges people to leave the birds and their nests alone.
"By maintaining a respectful distance from the bird nests, we can help ensure that the birds will not be sensitive to disturbance since if they feel threatened they may even abandon young," the FWS states. "We certainly don’t want to detract from the incubation process and we don’t want to interfere with them in their home."
