PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
This hummingbird is unable to retract her tongue due to fungal spores that have germinated on her tongue or in her gullet caused by folks mixing honey or anything other than plain white sugar with water.
She will die because she can no longer feed.
If you have feeders, PLEASE USE ONLY PLAIN WHITE SUGAR in your mixture of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. No organic or raw or brown sugar, no powdered sugar, no honey, no artificial sugar. Use plain white sugar/water mixture which is most similar to actual flower nectar. And no toxic red color liquids such as koolaid etc.. !
Change the sugar water mixture every couple of days, especially during high temperatures, as it will start to ferment if it sits out for days on end. If you can't or won't do this, please do not put out a feeder at all.
Aloes with long, tubular red flowers, allow hummingbirds to insert their needle-like bills deep enough to reach the nectaries. And the honey bees prefere yellow flowers, as they can not see the colour red. Try any or all of the Sunbird Aloes; www.ndundulualoes.com. And turn your garden into a haven for Hummingbirds. With 4 different flowering seasons, you will create a long lasting natural food source.
