A Pet's View / March 2007
Earnest Hummingways
Hummingbirds are simply some of the most amazing creatures on the planet. Individually, they are the smallest of all birds, and yet, with over 325 species, they are the second largest family of birds in the world.
Apparently, hummingbirds eat up to 14 times their own body weight in nectar everyday. To accomplish this, their bills and tongues have evolved into incredibly efficient feeding tools.
Surprisingly, hummingbirds do not feed by sucking up nectar with their bills. They actually lap it up with their tongues. They feed by dipping their forked, open-grooved tongues into nectar at up to 12 times a second. The grooves create a capillary action which draws the nectar up the tongue and into the mouth with every lapping action.
To reach the nectar at the base of long flower tubes, hummingbirds extend their tongues past their bill about a distance equal to the length of the bill.
Hummingbirds are known for their ability to hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings, 15 to 80 times per second, depending on the species. Not only can they hover at will, they can fly deliberately backwards or vertically, and maintain position while drinking from flower blossoms.
They were named for the characteristic hum made by their wings.
Hummingbirds bear the most glittering plumage in the bird world. Most males have iridescent plumage, in metallic red, orange, green or blue. Some have only an iridescent throat patch or cap, while others, are entirely iridescent.
Hummingbirds in flight have the highest metabolism of all animals, except insects. Their heartbeat can reach over 1200 beats per minute. They generally consume more than their own weight in food each day, so each hummingbird must visit hundreds of flowers daily. At any given moment, they are literally only hours away from starving.
However, they do have a fall back position. Hummingbirds are capable of slowing down their metabolism at night, or any time food is not readily available. They enter a state like hibernation, known as torpor. During torpor, their heart rate and breathing are slowed dramatically, reducing their need for food.
Hummingbirds are found only in the Americas, from southern Alaska and Canada to Tierra del Fuego, including the West Indies. The increased survival prospects provided by artificial feeders in gardens have encouraged some hummingbirds to begin migrating east, to winter in the eastern US, rather than flying south to Central America. In the past, hummers that migrated east usually died, but now many survive, and their changed migration direction is inherited by their offspring. Provided sufficient food and shelter is available, they are surprisingly hardy, able to tolerate temperatures down to at least -4°F.
Although hummers and humans live companionably together most of the time, the widespread use of pesticides has also taken its toll on hummingbirds. Insects and flowers that they feed upon have been sprayed with poison chemicals. A mistaken entry into a garage can be a life threatening situation for a hummingbird since their natural instinct when threatened or trapped is to fly upward. They become exhausted and can die in a relatively short period of time, sometimes as little as an hour. If a trapped hummingbird is within reach, it should be caught gently and released outdoors. They don’t peck or scratch, they will just lie quietly in the space between the cupped hands until they are released.
Hummingbird diets require an energy source, usually typically nectar, and a protein source, usually small insects. However, hummingbirds are happy to accept artificial nectar from commercial feeders, especially when flower blossoms are less abundant. Homemade nectar is made from one part white, granulated table sugar to four parts boiled water. The cooled nectar is then poured into a feeder. Honey and artificial sweeteners should not be used. While bright colors, especially red, attract hummingbirds, it’s better to use a feeder with red on it, rather than colored water. Red dye may be harmful to hummingbirds. Some commercial nectar mixes contain small amounts of mineral nutrients, but hummingbirds get the nutrients they need from insects, not nectar, so the added nutrients are unnecessary. Plain sugar water is what they like and all they need, served daily, al fresco, in the garden.
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