Most hummingbirds will start their southward migration as early as mid-July, though most will leave between late August and late September. Many people will leave their feeders out through late fall and early winter, as they may have many visitors that will stop by their feeders to refuel before continuing their journey. If you live in an area that stays warm year-round, such as the Southwestern U.S., the hummingbirds may not migrate at all.

No. This is either a Native American myth or just an old wives' tale. Hummingbirds are excellent, strong-flying migrants. A healthy ruby-throated hummingbird can easily handle the 500-mile flight across the Gulf of Mexico.

No. This is another in a long line of bird myths. Birds are genetically programmed to migrate when their internal "clocks" tell them to do so. They will depart when the time is right whether your feeders are up or not. Leaving your feeders up in fall and getting them up early in spring may help early or late migrants that are passing through your area. Hummingbirds have little or no sense of smell.

That varies from species to species and even population to population. Most tropical hummingbirds do very little traveling, since there are no cold temperatures and few food shortages to avoid. Further north the mild winter weather along the Pacific Coast and parts of the Mexican border offers a few species, such as Anna's and Costa's hummingbirds, a suitable year-round home.

No. It's hard to understand how such a myth got started in the first place and why it persists. Not only do waterfowl hunters not find dead hummingbirds in the feathers of their quarry, but it's easy to observe hummingbirds migrating on their own. While hummingbirds would certainly benefit from such an arrangement, there's really no way it could work.

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Though there are over 300 species of hummingbirds, only about 16 can be found in North America. Most areas of the United States and Southern Canada have at least one species of hummingbird. In the Eastern and Central United States, almost all of the hummingbirds typically seen are Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. Approximately 7 species can be seen in the Western U.S., and nearly all 16 hummingbird species can be found in the Southwestern states.

The best way to attract hummingbirds is by putting out a feeder with nectar. Nectar is basically sugar water, and allows the hummingbirds to maintain the energy levels they need to catch insects. There are also many plants that you can add to your garden or yard to increase your chances of attracting hummingbirds.

Insects! Nectar only provides the hummingbirds the energy they need to catch insects, which provide them with the nourishment they need to survive.

Hummingbird experts Nancy Newfield and Bob and Martha Sargent recently came up with a formula whereby you count the number of hummingbirds you can see at one time at your feeders and multiply this number by six to determine how many birds are visiting your feeder. They arrived at this number based on years of banding and color-marking hummingbirds at feeders.

There are a wide variety of helpful resources available, ranging from beginners' guides to in-depth scientific treatments of the subject. A few of these may be ordered directly from the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory. Your local public library may also have some of these titles. For more in-depth information on hummingbirds in your area, contact your local bird observatory, nature center, natural history museum, or Audubon society for programs and workshops on hummingbirds.

Every year I receive messages from people with a long history of feeding a large number of hummingbirds who have noticed a dramatic decrease in the number of birds. I couldn't possibly give them a definitive answer but I have at least one idea about why this could have happened. Aside from the troubling concern that a true decrease in population of some species of hummingbirds could be happening, I believe the answer can lie in a less sinister scenario.

If it is spring and you had just traveled as far and as difficult a trail as most hummingbirds, you'd be serious about food and mates too! It is up to the males to establish their own breeding territory and to defend it against all intruders. They usually find an observation point (or a few) and from there they fiercely attack other hummingbirds. Females may get bullied too.

American Crows can be considered partially migratory. That is, some populations migrate, others are resident, and in others only some of the crows migrate. Crows in the southern parts of their range appear to be resident and not migrate. They may make some changes in their use of space at this time, spending more time off the territory to forage and roost. Crows migrate out of the northern most parts of their range.

Hummingbirds are notoriously aggressive and possessive about their food sources. You can try providing additional feeders close together or spreading the feeders apart but you will not be able to stop hummingbirds from exhibiting this aggression. You have to accept it as part of their survival skills.

Hummingbirds do not live in houses like other species (bluebirds, house wrens, etc.). Rather, they collect spider web fibers and lichens to build cup-shaped nests on forked tree branches or a convenient ledge. In the West, black-chinned hummingbirds often nest in close proximity to humans. A product called Hummingbird House provides an inviting construction area for this western hummingbird. It's basically an artificial tree branch.

Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to bright, strongly coloured flowers that provide nectar. Fuchsia are very popular with hummingbirds, especially, brightly coloured single flowering varieties. Lightly scented plants such as verbena are also attractive to butterflies.

Grow substantial groups of red, trumpet-shaped flowers such as bleeding hearts, crimson columbine, scarlet creeper, any red penstemon, bee balm, Indian paintbrush or cardinal flower. Also use flowering plants, including shrubs, vines and trees. Azaleas and flowering quince are two shrubs attractive to hummingbirds, and honeysuckle and trumpet creeper are favorite vines. A red buckeye or a flowering crab tree could be good choices for new trees.