Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!emory!mephisto!rutgers!psuvax1!psuvm!hyd
From: HYD@psuvm.psu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: RE: Hummingbird Warning
Message-ID: <90219.085738HYD@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: 7 Aug 90 12:57:38 GMT
Organization: Penn State University
Lines: 10

There is a major difference between nectar and sugar-water. Plants which are
pollenated by birds tend to produce large amounts of strong nectar which has
a relativily large amount of protien in it. Hummers also feed on small insects,
but I haven't seen anything written on how much of their protien intake comes
from nectar and how much comes from insects. Anyway, if nectar is an important
source of protien for the birds then sugar-water solutions may cause nutrition-
al problems for the birds. These problems could manifest themselves as bill-
softening or in more difficult to spot ways.

                                            Paul