Topic: Aryana Hummingbird, Laguna Niguel, California (Read 57716 times)

Phyl · « **on:** January 22, 2023, 05:17:57 PM »

Welcome to Aryana Hummingbird’s habitat! This live cam features an Allen’s Hummingbird who lives in the coastal area of Laguna Niguel, California. She has plenty of nectar sources from which to choose, including this feeder and the trumpet-shaped Violet Churcu you see in the background. In addition to Aryana’s comings and goings, you’ll see lots of songbirds, bees, butterflies, and other hummingbirds flitting about!

During mating season, the live cam will be repositioned so viewers can watch the nesting process, from tiny eggs in a walnut-sized nest to the exciting day her nestlings take wing and become “jewels of the sky.”

The sound on this camera is a pre-recorded loop, in order to protect the privacy of the camera hosts.

LIVE VIEWING HOURS
All Day and All Night
ESTABLISHED
June 2022

MALE OR FEMALE: HOW CAN I TELL THE DIFFERENCE?

Male Allen’s Hummingbirds have deeper, richer coloring than their female counterparts. They have brilliant, bronze-green plumage along their backs, and coppery-orange eye patches, flanks and bellies. Most notable, they have wide, reddish-orange collars (gorgets) that flash scarlet in the sunlight. A female Allen’s Hummingbird has iridescent green feathers on her crown, shoulders, and back, and her flanks are covered with pale, metallic-orange plumage. Her breast and neck feathers are white, and her tail feathers have white tips. She has a sprinkling of freckles across her neck region, and a patch of reddish-orange feathers at her throat.

WHAT DO HUMMINGBIRDS EAT?
Hummingbirds have a very high metabolism. They eat all day long, and rely on nectar-rich flowers and plants for their survival. But they don’t just live on sugar—they also get their protein by foraging for soft-bodied insects (e.g., fruit flies, gnats, and tiny spiders). They rely first on natural food sources and treat backyard feeders as meal supplements, or a quick dessert.

HOW DO HUMMINGBIRDS EAT?

Their long, needle-like beaks are perfectly designed to draw nectar from trumpet-shaped flowers. Their tongues are shaped more like the letter W than a drinking straw, with tiny hairs at the tip. This unique design allows them to trap nectar and bugs in the folds of their tongue and lap them up at a rapid pace.

WHERE DID HUMMINGBIRDS GET THEIR NAME?

Hummingbirds got their name from the humming sound their wings make as they fly.

DO HUMMINGBIRDS MAKE OTHER NOISES?

Most hummingbirds make chirping, clicking, and chittering sounds. Listen close, and you’ll hear the different calls they use when they’re flitting from flower to flower, defending their territory, or calling out to mama when they’re hungry.

Phyl · « **Reply #1 on:** January 22, 2023, 05:18:38 PM »

HOW DO HUMMINGBIRDS FLY?

Hummingbirds don’t flap their wings. Instead, they move their wings at lightning speed in a figure-eight pattern. This gives them the lift they need to fly forward, backward, and sideways, to dive and hover, and turn upside-down.

HOW DO HUMMINGBIRDS SLEEP?

At night (and during coldest days of winter), hummingbirds look for a sheltered spot where they can rest. They go into a state of torpor, which is like hibernation in that their metabolism, heartbeat, and respiration rate slows so they can conserve energy. They may even hang upside-down on the branch! The next morning, the tiny hummingbird awakens with enough energy reserves to find its first meal of the day. For these reasons, you’ll likely notice more activity at the feeder in the morning, and shortly after sundown.
WHEN IS NESTING SEASON?

In Orange County, California (where Aryana Hummingbird lives), nesting season begins in late November or early December and typically lasts until May or June. A male hummingbirds uses its flashy gorget to attract as many females as possible. It protects its territory from intruders, but takes no responsibility for nest-building—or raising babies for that matter!

HOW DOES A HUMMINGBIRD MAMA BUILD HER NEST?

Over the course of several days, Aryana gathers found objects—lichen, palm fronds, lawn clippings, paint chips, and cottony materials, for instance. She then weaves them together into a walnut-sized nest that’s lashed to a camouflaged branch with spider silk. It’s hard work, hauling construction materials to the nest area! She makes 30+ trips per hour, to and from the construction site, so she concentrates most of her efforts during the coolest part of the day.

HOW MANY EGGS DOES A HUMMMINGBIRD LAY?

Aryana lays two eggs per clutch. They are about the size of a Jelly Belly and take approximately two weeks to hatch.

HOW LONG DO HER HATCHLINGS STAY IN THE NEST?

When they first emerge from their shells, her hatchlings are no bigger than a raisin. They are featherless and weigh no more than a U.S. dime. But if all goes well, they’ll look more like hummingbirds every day, and will take to the skies about three weeks later.

DO HUMMINGBIRDS RE-USE THEIR NESTS?

It’s not uncommon for Aryana to refurbish her original nest. It might be a cushy home for several broods in a given season, or she might repurpose those nesting materials in future years.

Phyl · « **Reply #2 on:** January 22, 2023, 05:19:03 PM »

HOW CAN I SET UP MY OWN BACKYARD FEEDER?

1. Choose a dripless hummingbird feeder with small drinking portals and an ant moat.

2. To make your own nectar: Dissolve simple granulated table sugar into warm water, at a ratio of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Warm tap water is typically fine to use, but if your water source has lots of added minerals, you might want to boil it. Be sure it’s cooled completely before use! Extra nectar can be refrigerated for up to seven days.

3. Hang your feeder at least four feet off the ground, close to flowering vegetation where it can safely perch. Keep the feeder clear of landscape features that might give predators easy access to your hummingbirds.

4. Replace the nectar every three to five days -- sooner if it’s hot outside or the nectar gets a little cloudy. (Science-based Recommendations: At 70-84 °F, replace nectar every 3 days; at 85-87 °F, replace nectar every 2 days; at 88+ °F , replace nectar every day.)

5. Clean your feeder every time you replace the nectar, using a weak vinegar solution and a small brush to clear the portals and all the nooks and crannies. Rinse well before refilling!

6. Remember: NO alternative forms of sweetener, NO insect repellants, NO household cleaners or dish detergents, and NO red dye.