One of the tiniest and most fascinating birds is the hummingbird. Most of them here in the US measure just three to four inches. Their minuscule brain, which is about 4.2% of their body weight, is proportionately the largest in the bird world. In spite of their tiny size, they are very aggressive. Quarrelsome with each other, they will gladly take on much larger birds, and are able to escape most of their enemies because of their speed (up to 60 mph in a dive) and their incredible maneuverability.
That maneuvering capability is due to a unique feature of their wings. While the wings of most birds have powered down strokes, these tiny birds have powered upstrokes and down strokes. They can fly backward, forward, sideways, hover like a helicopter, and even fly upside-down briefly. However, their legs and feet are so weak they can barely walk.
Hummingbirds’ wings beat approximately 78 times per second, and can beat up to 200 times per second during a display dive. Their hearts beat as much as 1260 times a minute, and they breathe about 250 times a minute. All this uses an enormous amount of energy, so the majority of their time is spent sitting or perching. They have the highest rate of metabolism of any animal, with the exception of insects, and are constantly just hours away from starving to death. However, they are able to slow down their metabolism overnight, or any time food is not available, entering a state called torpor.
They must consume prodigious amounts of food to power their little bodies; the nectar alone that they consume amounts to100-200% of their body weight each and every day. That means visiting up to 1000 flowers a day. During migration, hummingbirds travel impressive distances to reach their wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America. Part of the trip is a 500 mile nonstop flight over the Gulf of Mexico. In order to make such a trip possible, they will eat until they weigh 1.5 times their normal weight.
They conduct a complicated courtship in the air, and the male disappears for good once the mating is over, leaving the female to finish all the household chores by herself. She will build a delicate cup-shaped nest, about one inch deep and one inch diameter, and will be happy to use any nesting material you provide for her. She will lay just two or three pea-sized eggs, incubate them, and care completely for the nestlings, feeding them as much as five times in an hour. Flower nectar, and the sugar water found at feeders, gives hummingbirds the energy needed for the job of capturing the soft-bodied insects and spiders that are their primary nourishment, especially when feeding their young.
So, how can you attract these fascinating hummers into your yard? Primarily, with flowers – especially brilliant, nectar-producing ones. By all means though, provide them with nectar feeders, nesting materials, and water misters to fly through. Bearing in mind their competitiveness, have more than one feeder, and place them out of sight of each other. Keep the feeders filled with syrup, using the following recipe:
• One part ordinary white sugar to four parts water
• Boil the water first, then measure, so the proportions will be correct
Unused syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. It will spoil quickly in the heat, especially if the feeder is in the sun, and hummingbirds will keep their distance from fermented nectar. Throw out any unconsumed syrup, clean and refill the container every three to four days when the temperature is around 80 deg. F, as often as every two days if it goes over 90 deg. F. If they don’t empty the feeder in that amount of time, don’t fill it all the way. At least once a month, soak the feeder for an hour in a solution of ¼ cup bleach to one gallon of water, clean with a bottle brush and rinse thoroughly before refilling.
If you do your part by keeping the feeders clean and the nectar fresh, offering nesting materials to provide a natural replacement for hard-to-find materials, and placing water nearby, the hummingbirds will be loyal to your feeding sites and return each year, providing a splendid show to entertain you and your family.
Susan Woodward inherited her love of birds from her grandfather, whose hobby was photographing and banding birds. She has enjoyed feeding and watching the birds in her own backyard for decades. She is the owner of It’s a Bird’s World, an online store featuring bird feeders, bird houses, bird baths and accessories. To view the hummingbird products mentioned above, visit http://www.ItsaBirdsWorld.com/hummingbirds.
Article Source
Tags:bird world,legs and feet,maneuvering capability,prodigious amounts,tiny birds
