Hummingbird
is a small bird of the Trochilidae family.
The rapid beating of their wings makes
the distinctive humming sound from which they get their name.
Hummingbird Range
Hummingbirds are found only in
North America and South America.
They are found as far north as
southeastern Alaska and as far south as southern Chile.
South America has the biggest variety of hummingbirds and more than half the
species are found there. The country of Ecuador in northwestern South America
has the largest number of any one country with 163 different species.
There are over fifty species that regularly breed in Mexico.
Sixteen different
species breed in the United States, but the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is
the only one that breeds east of the Mississippi River.
And four species
breed in Canada.
male Ruby-throated hummingbird
Author - Michelle Lynn Reynolds, Author grants permission to upload under
GFDL.
male Black-
chinnedhummingbird Permission is granted to
copy, distribute and or modify this image under the terms of
the
GNU Free Documentation License
Species of hummingbirds that breed in the United States:
Coppery-headed Emerald, Purple-throated Mountain-gem,
Black-bellied Hummingbird, Green Thorntail, Brown Violetear, Violet
Sabrewing.
Hummingbird Size Information
Hummingbirds range in size from the
smallest (the Bee Hummingbird of Cuba that weighs about 2.2 grams) ..... to the
largest (the Giant Hummingbird of South America that weighs about 20 grams).
The smallest hummingbird, and as a
matter of fact, the smallest bird on earth, is the Bee Hummingbird. With a
length of only 2.25 inches, the Bee Hummingbird isn't much larger than a bee.
The largest hummingbird, the Giant
Hummingbird, is about 8 inches in length, or about the size of a large
starling.
The common Ruby-throated Hummingbird
that most people are familiar with..... weighs about 3 grams. Their weight will
almost double this amount as they put on fat in getting ready for migration.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are about 3 1/2 inches
from the tip of their beaks to the tip of their tales.
Hummingbird Flight Information
Unlike other birds, a hummingbird can rotate it's
wings in a circle. Because of this special hummingbird fact, they are the only
bird that can fly both forwards and backwards. They can also fly up, down,
sideways, hover in one spot, or fly upside down for short distances.
Normal flight speed is about 25 miles per hour, but
they have been clocked at speeds in excess of fifty miles per hour during their
courtship dives.
During normal flight their wings beat about 60-80
times per second. In their courtship dives they might beat up to 200 times per
second.
A courtship dive is an elaborate display of flight
performed by the male hummingbird at the start of the nesting season. The male
hummingbird will climb high into the air (up to 60 feet or more) and dive
towards the ground and forming a wide arc, climbs back into the air to about the
same height. These dives, forming a wide U-shaped pattern, my be performed 3 or
4 times in rapid succession. These courtship dives are performed to attracted
the attention of the female hummingbirds and to ward off other male hummingbirds
that might be in the area.
Click on the play button below to view the Anna's
hummingbird courtship video which shows everything from the adding of pieces of
lichen and plant down to the nest, to the courtship dive of the male bird to get
the females attention, the male and female Anna's in flight together, followed
by the eggs in the nest. Then see the female Anna's hummingbird feeding the very
tiny newly hatched baby hummingbirds. See the baby hummingbirds test their wings
and finally the female Anna's hummingbird feeding the baby hummingbird after it
has left the nest.
Hummingbird Life span
Most hummingbirds unfortunately die during their fist year but, those that do
survive that first year have an average life span of 3
to 4 years.
The longest recorded life span is from a female
Broad-tailed Hummingbird that was tagged then recaptured 12 years later, making
her at least 12 years old.
The oldest known surviving Ruby-throated
Hummingbird is a banded bird that was 6 years 11 months old.
The oldest known Rufous Hummingbird is a banded
bird that was 8 years 1 month old.
Hummingbird Feeding Information
Hummingbirds will feed 5 to eight times every hour
for 30 to 60 seconds at a time.
The large portion of a hummingbirds diet is sugar
which they get from flower nectar and tree sap. They also eat insects and pollen
to get protein to build muscle.
They are also easily attracted to Hummingbird
nectar feeders.
It's only $19.99 and
has several features that makes it well worth the price.
The
HummZinger has
patented Nectar guard tips which are flexible membranes attached to the feed
ports that prohibit entry from flying insects, but allow Hummingbirds to feed as
usual. The HummZinger also has a built in ant moat that will stop crawling
insects from getting to the nectar. It also has raised flower ports that divert
rain.
This mid-size nectar feeder has a 12 oz. capacity and
can be hung or post mounted with hardware provided. It has four feeding ports
and is made of unbreakable polycarbonate. Easy to clean.
For ease of cleaning and protection from bees,
wasps and ants, this feeder can't be beat.
Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism rate
of any animal on earth. They have a high breathing rate, a high heart rate, and
a high body temperature. To maintain all of this and to provide energy for
flying they may consume anywhere from 2/3 to 3 times their body weight in food
each day.
The Hummingbirds' bills are long and tapered
to match perfectly with the tubular shaped blooms on which they like to feed.
Their tongue is grooved on the sides to collect nectar which they lap up at the
rate of 13 licks per second.
Hummingbirds are very territorial and will perch in
trees, vines or bushes, between feedings to watch the area..... and will attack
other birds that might try to feed at their food source.
Hummingbirds are also very helpful in pollinating
the plants on which they feed. There are some plants that are only pollinated by
hummingbirds. As they lap up the nectar, pollen from the bloom is rubbed off
onto the hummingbird, then carried to the next bloom as it continues to feed.
watch this video to see hundreds of
hummingbirds feeding at the same time at Hummingbird's Haven.......incredible!
another video at Hummingbird's Haven
Hummingbird Sounds
Hummingbirds lack a true song. Most
of their vocalizations consists of chirping sounds.
They frequently vocalize to attract
a mate or when they are excited.
They are named for the humming
sound they make through the rapid movement of their wings, when they are in
flight.
Torpor Information
Torpor is a hibernation-like state that a
hummingbird can enter to help conserve energy.
While in a state of torpor, a Hummingbird will
lower it's body temperature by about 20 degrees and up to 50 degrees. This will
help the bird conserve energy on cold nights or anytime that food might be
scarce.
The next morning the bird can raise its metabolism
and get its body temperature back to normal usually within a few minutes but, it
can take up to an hour.
They can even lower their heart rate from 500 beats
per minute to as few as 50.
Also to conserve energy, they may even stop
breathing for periods of time.
Even with all these energy conservation abilities, a
cold night or difficulty locating enough food for a day, can prove to be fatal
to the hummingbird.
Migration Information
Untrue hummingbird fact: hummingbirds migrate on the
backs of geese.
Another untrue fact:
keeping your feeders out too long in the fall will upset the bird's normal
migration pattern.
Hummingbird migration is causes by hormonal changes
that take place within the hummingbird's body. These hormonal changes are
triggered by the changing length of daylight. Since it is the shorter hours of
daylight in the fall that causes the hummingbirds to migrate, you don't have to
worry that keeping your feeders out too long in the fall will cause the birds to
hang around and not migrate.
Many species of Hummingbirds that migrate to the
United States must travel very long distances from Mexico and Central America to
get here. Many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds must travel 2,000 miles to go from
Panama to their destination in Canada.
The most incredible fact is that this 2,000 mile
journey will also include a
500 mile non-stop flight to cross the Gulf of Mexico.
In addition to 20 hummingbird species
you’ll be treated to the amazing sight of a
hummer building her nest, heartwarming scenes of a hatchling being fed, and the
humorous attempt of a chick trying to avoid fouling its nest.
