Is there a simple way to quantify the amount of volume consumed by a hummingbird using artificial feeders? This could be very minute amounts every time a hummingbird sips the solution from the feeder. Has anyone try a method to quantify the amount consumed? I will greatly appreciate your input.
Maybe weigh on a very fine scale? So get your whole thing weigh it, and then reweigh afterwards. Weigh a know large amount of volume of the stuff you give and then you can calculate the volume the humming bird has sipped out. Will probably be very little, but that should do it. You will need a lab grade 0.001-0.0001 gram scale. Or had you thought of that? I presume you have...
Hi Mirre, Thanks for your answer... I thought of that already, but I am having trouble finding a scale sensitive enough to use it in the field and able to measure such minute amounts. This is a tricky question, and thank you for your input. Best, GA
Maybe if it is very fluid you can put a tiny drop (precisely pipetted) of colorant in mix well and measure with a spectrometer. The resultant intensity of coloration should be a function of the starting volume. I would rather weigh it though maybe it you built a device you can easily bag in a zipper bag? so you can take it from the field
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