Mrs. Hatcher hasn’t hit the hummers yet, but Howie is certain it will happen any day. He must think of a way to stop her. Howie’s 34-page book, 8 x 10” softbound and full color, is filled with hummingbird facts, a glossary, and the favorite flowers of hummers. You can attract hummingbirds to your own garden! Perfect for kids 5-10 years old, for home and school. The illustrations by Casie Trace will wow you! Buy HERE or on Amazon.

     For lots more information about hummingbird gardening, go to Hummingbirds.

      Some Fun Facts About Hummingbirds:

• The smallest hummingbird is about 2 ¼ inches long while the more common Anna’s is an inch larger. It’s about as heavy as a penny!

• The hummingbird bill is long and tubular, sometimes straight, sometimes curved. Its length and shape help get nectar from deep, narrow flowers. The bird’s split tongue drains the nectar from the flower.

• Hummingbirds are found only in the Americas. There are about 340 species with only 17 that breed in the United States. Four or five other species are “visitors.”

• Do hummingbirds sing? They do, but they sing so fast that our ears hear only chirps, squeaks, and twits. The other sound we hear is the humming of their wings beating rapidly. That’s how they got their common name of hummingbirds!

• The normal speed of a hummingbird is about 25-30 miles per hour. Its wings can stroke 80 beats per second, and as many as 200 beats in a display dive. Sometimes hummingbirds can fly up to 65 miles per hour.

• Hummingbirds are famous for their fancy aerobatics. They can fly forward, backward, hover, roll, dive, and maneuver just about any which way.

• Because hummingbirds fly at very fast speeds and use a lot of energy, they must feed every ten minutes or so during the day. They thrive on nectar plus tiny insects and spiders for protein.