The Hummingbird Heart, beats extremely fast
The hummingbird heart, will on average, beat about 250 times per minute, if the hummingbird is just at rest. On the other hand, when the hummingbird is in flight, the hummingbird heart will beat on average, 1200 times per minute. The heart beat of a Blue-throated hummingbird, was once measured at 1260 beats per minute, which happens to be the fastest hummingbird heart beat ever measured.
Because of the rapid movement of their wings, that is needed to maintain flight, they need a high metabolism and thus a high heart rate to maintain it.
During times when food is not readily available or at night, the hummingbird heart rate will slow to as low as 50 to 180 beats per minute. During this time when the hummingbird heart beat is slowed, their metabolism is also slowed way down. This hibernation-like state is called torpor, and allows the hummingbird to get through the night without feeding. If the hummingbird was not able to slow it’s metabolism down in this way, it would starve to death before morning. They are able to store only enough energy to get them through the night. Slowing the hummingbird heart allows them to survive until morning when they can resume feeding.
I hope you enjoyed this information about the hummingbird heart.
