Actually, what you mean is sucrose = sucrose = sucrose.
There are many compounds that qualify by definition as
sugar, not all of them are palatable to hummingbirds
and guess what? (and this is from the folks who took the
time to do the analysis on HUMNET-L), if it doesn't say
pure cane sugar, it's not necessarily all sucrose.

The bargain bags of sugar have higher amounts of
glucose (grape sugar) and fructose which hummingbirds
find less tasty then sucrose solutions or natural nectar.
Bargain brands also have higher amounts of non-sugar
dessicants.

Do a taste test. While bargain sugars do not taste bad
(by my palate, anyway), they do taste different in solution
then cane sugar. An in my own qualitative experience,
bargain sugars smell mustier which may also affect sugar
solution quality.

Deborah Wisti-Peterson wrote:
>
> sugar = sugar = sugar
>
> Deborah Wisti-Peterson, PhD Candidate nyneve at u.washington.edu
> Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA
> Visit me on the web: http://students.washington.edu/~nyneve/
> Love the creator? Then protect the creation.
>
> On Sat, 21 Jul 2001, David Chelimer wrote:
>
> > Tweets,
> >
> > Some time ago, possibly last year, I passed on a report I'd read about
> > hummingbirds' dislike for sugar made from anything other than pure cane.
> > Apparently I didn't read my own posting.
> >
> > I noticed this year that we seemed to be getting fewer and shorter visits
> > from ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS at our feeders than in the previous thirty-one,
> > when first we hung our feeder up. I finally checked the bag of sugar that
> > I'd bought, and it said, "Pure Sugar." Now the feeder is filled from a bag
> > that says "Pure CANE Sugar," and the hummers are back in force.
> >
> > So, folks, when you instinctively reach for the "house" brand sugar because
> > it's twenty cents a bag cheaper, at least check to see if it's indeed all
> > cane sugar. And, if it isn't, it's not very good for hummingbirds, but you
> > can still use it to bake me lots of pies! I'll send you my address.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > David Chelimer
> > Seattle
> > chelimer at qwest.net
> >

--
Mike Patterson Alas, to wear the mantle of Galileo,
Astoria, OR it is not enough to be persecuted
celata at pacifier.com by an unkind establishment,
you must also be right.
---Robert Park
http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html