[birdky] Re: sugar/water ratio for hummers
- From: Mark Monroe <markmonroe1@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wrscates@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:49:17 -0400
As has been noted, both mixtures can be, and are, successful.
However, to avoid some misconceptions in favor of 3:1, many of the
enormous staging areas (i.e LBL here in KY with its several hundred
hummers) use 4:1, and to my knowledge, all hummingbird banders and
major sites recommend that mix. There really are NO 'major' migration
sites that claim to have more birds using 3:1 when they have tested it
that I am are aware of. If there are any out there have statistically
found an advantage , we'd be interested in their results.
As for flowers, they offer far more than a sugar/water mixture does in
the way of potential nutrition, so that is not a valid apples to
oranges comparison when it comes to feeder mixtures. Regardless,
birds clearly cannot take the same volume out of flowers that they do
a feeder in any set time period.
Now, I'm certainly not trying to dissuade opinions and input and
certainly welcome it, just passing on the current data that has been
collected. :)
Mark
Mark Monroe
Louisville, KY
On Sat, Sep 11, 2010 at 10:46 PM, Bill Scates <wrscates@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I go along with that.
> We use 3 -1/2 cups water to 1 cup sugar and have 9 feeders out with 100+
> birds. (They're impossible to count but at times there seem to be birds at
> every position on most of the feeders with that many more vying for a
> place.) We've begun replacing the 16 oz. feeders with 32 oz. just so we can
> keep up and don't have to fill them more than once/day.
>
> We rarely use sugar for any purpose except hummer nectar so I've wondered:
> How much do super market sales of sugar increase during the fall hummer
> migration?
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jackie Elmore
> To: BirdKY BirdKY Listserve
> Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2010 8:57 PM
> Subject: [birdky] Re: sugar/water ratio for hummers
> Saturday 9-11-2010
>
> I've never been just a follower when it came down to the discussion of what
> the correct sugar/water ratio for hummingbirds should be. After researching
> several sources there is still much reason for debate. Much of the answers
> can be found in studying flowers. I find it very interesting that
> hummingbird-pollinated flowers AVERAGE about a 3:1 (25%) sugar to water
> nectar ratio....that's anywhere from 10:1 to 1:1 ratios in all examples.
> For example 'Lady-in Red' Salvia coccinea averaged 33% sugar when tested in
> one study...that's a 2:1 ratio. Most of our favorite hummingbird flowers
> average about 25 to 30% sugar to water ratio. A 4:1 ratio is only 20% sugar
> to water....sooo I feed a 3:1 ratio and have done so for over eight years
> now with much success.
>
> Jackie B. Elmore
> near Stanford, KY.
> Lincoln Co.
>
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