On Vancouver Island, a hummingbird has recently lost its ability to feed as she can no longer retract her tongue.

This will ultimately lead to her death.

This is due to fungal spores germinating on her tongue or in her gullet from people mixing honey or something other than plain white sugar with water in hummingbird feeders.

A veterinary technician has made a public service announcement via Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society Wildlife Rescue Centre’s Facebook page informing the public that they should only ever use plain white sugar in a mixture of one part sugar to four parts water in their feeders.

Things such as organic, raw or brown sugar, powdered sugar, honey or artificial sugar should never be used. The sugar and water mix is closest to what hummingbirds would get from flower nectar. The Comox Valley-based operation also warns that no toxic red coloured liquids, such as Kool-Aid, should be used as well.

Regular maintenance of the feeders should also be done, which involves changing of the mixture every couple of days, especially during higher temperatures as the mixture will start to ferment if left out for too long.