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In fact, the ruby-throated hummingbird, weighing in at a hefty three grams, crosses the 800-km Gulf of Mexico non-stop!
And, in what will be horrifying to Jenny Craig, the hummingbird eats nearly 60 meals a day! Translated into human terms, if an average man used as much energy as a hummingbird, he would need to eat 130 kg of hamburger every day.
With wings that beat 80 times per second and a resting rate of 250 breaths per minute, it's understandable why the "hummer" has such a voracious appetite.
Their favourite food is the sweet nectar found in the blossoms of flowers and they prefer tubular flowers that allow their long, needle-like bills to fit inside these tubes.
Thankfully, for the hummingbird gardener, there are more than 150 varieties of flowering plants in North America that will attract hummers.
If designing a hummingbird garden from scratch, keep in mind that curved, narrow flower beds are best, thereby allowing the hummers access to blooms from all sides of the plants. Hummingbirds don't depend upon scent to locate nectar, rather bright colours, especially red, are what will attract them.
A variety of annuals, perennials, and bulbs, listed below, are high in nectar, and also have the tubular shaped blossoms hummers prefer: Beard Tongue (Penstemon); Bee Balm (Monarda); Browallia; Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa); California Fuchsia (Zauschneria); Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis); Columbia Lily (Lilium columbianum); Columbine (Aquilegia); Coral Bells (Heuchera); Delphinium; Foxglove (Digitalis); Geranium(Pelargonium); Gladiolus; Hollyhock (Alcea rosea); Hosta; Impatiens; Iris; Lilac; Lion's Tail (Leonotis leonurus); Lobelia laxiflora; Lupine (Lupinus); Ohio Buckeye; Phlox; Red-hot-poker (Kniphofia uvaria); Salvia (Sage); Spider Flower (Cleome hasslerana); Trumpet Honeysuckle; and Zinnia.
If you do not have a garden, you can still attract hummingbirds by placing a feeder on your terrace or balcony. The feeder should contain a simple mixture of one part sugar to four parts boiled (ie: sterilized) water. Use only white sugar and never mix the nectar with sugar substitutes (another Jenny Craig horror) such as syrup or honey, which can give the birds a fatal fungal infection.
Food dyes are equally as dangerous and make sure to clean the feeders every other day -- especially when it's hot. Otherwise, the sugar will ferment and cause deadly salmonella poisoning to these birds.