There are so many interesting things to learn about the charming hummingbirds. With the way, hummingbirds eat multiple times in a day and all may have you wondering if hummingbirds do poop. Well, let’s find out.
Hummingbirds are capable of flicking their tongue into nectar up to 12 to 18 times in a second as they sip nectar. They feed so many times and this can be as much as half of their body weight in just a day.
Apart from sipping nectar solutions, hummingbirds are as well capable of feeding on small insects. They derive energy from nectar and obtain other nutrients such as proteins and vitamins from feeding on small insects. They are capable of feeding on several dozens to hundreds of insects in a day.
Now considering how much they eat, let’s find out if hummingbirds do poop.
Do Hummingbirds Poop?
Hummingbirds certainly do poop. With the large quantity of food they consume daily, it is only logical they excrete some waste products.
They are one of the very few wild bird species that ingest a huge amount of food in their daily diet. So, the excess amount of food needs to be eliminated through their poop as they continue to feed on nectar and small insects.
Do Hummingbirds Pee?
Hummingbirds certainly pee because they consume a large number of fluids in their daily diet and the excess fluids need to be expelled. It may interest you to know that these sweet hummers are actually one of few bird species that actually pee.
Hummingbirds are endowed with an efficient digestive system. They have specialized kidneys that help remove and retain all the sugar content they consume from nectar. Then the excess water is extracted or expelled as urine.
Hummingbirds tend to pee quickly in as little as 20 minutes once they are done consuming nectar solutions from feeders or flowers.
Also, hummingbird pee can is usually clear. However, when you use red dye coloring in your feeders, their urine can turn pink. We highly recommend you avoid using food coloring in hummingbird feeders. This may be harmful to hummingbirds’ health.
If you wish to attract hummingbirds more using radiant colors such as red, then you can simply go for feeders decorated with red. You can as well tie some red cloth or ribbon close to your feeders. But avoid using red dye coloring in hummingbird feeders.
What Does Hummingbird Poop Look Like?
Hummingbird’s poop has this little brown look. Their faces are semi-solid waste that contains both feces and urine.
Do Hummingbirds Poop And Pee At The Same Time?
When hummingbirds pass these excrete, they simultaneously excrete solid and liquid waste. Therefore, this implies that hummingbirds can poop and pee at the same time through the same opening.
This excretion is known as diurnal and this means the waste contains both urine and feces.
Do Hummingbirds Poop Around Feeders?
Yes, hummingbirds tend to expel their waste around feeders. It is therefore required you adequately clean your feeders from time to time or when necessary.
Also, avoid hanging your nectars close or under seating or dining spots so they don’t excrete on these spots. You don’t want hummingbird poop to cover your seats and all. So, this is for the well-being of both your garden and your hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds won’t however poop in their nest so this makes it less easy for feces-related diseases such as salmonella to be passed.
The Appropriate Spot To Hang Hummingbird’s Feeder
So, we have pointed out you avoid hanging your hummingbird’s feeders around dining or seats. Therefore, the appropriate location to hang these feeders is several feet off the ground level.
You can try the top of a pole or post in your garden. You can as well try hanging these feeders from a hook on the side of your home.
When you hang your feeders high above the ground, hummingbirds can comfortably come around and visit. This will reduce the fear of any potential predators that may be around the feeders if they were to be hanged low. So, they won’t need to fly too low and expose themselves to predators.
Additionally, you should preferably hang hummingbird feeders in a shaded spot. This will help preserve the nectar solution to last longer. Avoid hanging them directly under the sun as this can let the nectar solution go bad rapidly.
Read more about When Do You Put Hummingbird Feeders Out.
How To Clean Hummingbird’s Poop
Now that we know hummingbirds do poop even around feeders, you may want to know how you can clean hummingbird poop around your feeders. Let’s look into this.
Hot soapy water should be used to clean the poop of hummingbirds around your feeders. However, if the poop is getting too difficult to clean or remove, you can make use of apple cider vinegar. A small amount of toothpaste can also work to help loosen hummingbird poop and you should be able to remove it easier.
Remember, maintaining a clean hummingbird feeder is one of the keys to having more of these birds around. You will also be reducing the chance of these sweet birds getting sick from contaminated feeders. Hummingbirds will as well enjoy fresh, clean, and great tasting nectar solutions.
Then hummingbirds will always be encouraged to return to your garden every year they migrate because you always provide that clean feeding station.
Final Say
Hummingbirds are sweet and charming acrobatic flying creatures we love to attract to our yards. We hang feeders, plant radiant flowers, decorate our garden with radiant colors just to attract these iridescent birds.
However, in all these, hummingbirds do poop around feeders even when feeding. They expel these excrete in as little as 20 minutes after they’ve consumed nectar and this is done rapidly. So, as hummingbirds pass this poop on your feeders, it is important you clean your feeders from time to time.
With a large number of nectar fluids, hummingbirds consume in just a day, expelling the excess food in their waste is necessary.
Hummingbirds poop is referred to as diurnal and this poop contains both solid waste and fluid. They tend to pass both poop and pee from the same opening.
Learn more about Is Store Bought Hummingbird Nectar Safe.