Category: Dear Mom

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Dear Mom Hummingbirds

Where Are Hummingbirds Not Found and More?

I was recently discussing the subject of hummingbirds with a friend and during our conversation I was explaining about the different places in the world where no hummingbirds are found. My friend was surprised by this information and this got me to thinking that you might be as well. This is the kind of information that I know my mom would have enjoyed discovering, so I cannot help but think of her as I write this post.

No hummingbird species are found in Hawaii. Also, you will not find any hummingbirds in Africa, Asia, Europe or Australia. As a person who so enjoys and is fascinated by hummingbirds, I wish these amazing creatures were found all over the world, but if they are not found where you live you will have to travel to be able to witness and experience these astonishing creatures.

Since you now know where hummingbirds are not found, you may be wondering where these birds can be found. Well, I have the answer for you. The simple answer is that hummingbirds are found only in the Americas. According to the website About.com, hummingbirds are found in the New world. The range of the hummingbird covers from Alaska to the southern tip of South America and includes the islands of the Caribbean. The vast majority of the 340 or so known species of hummingbirds are found Columbia, Brazil and Ecuador.

According to hummingbird expert Sheri L. Williamson, there are some 17 different species of hummingbirds which are found in the United States. This represents only 5 percent of the world’s hummingbird species. While this is only a small percentage of the world’s total number of hummingbird species, I myself am thrilled that we are fortunate enough to get to enjoy these amazing birds.

Well, I hope that you have enjoyed discovering some fascinating information about where it is that hummingbirds are not found and where these birds are indeed found. So as you can see, not everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy these birds. Please take advantage of every opportunity you have to watch and enjoy these fascinating birds.

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Dear Mom Hummingbirds

Are Hummingbirds Born With Feathers?

Are hummingbirds are born with feathers? I must admit that I never even considered this question until someone asked me this recently. I assumed, I knew the answer, but decided to do some research on the matter before answering the question. I am so glad that I took the time to research this topic or my answer would have been wrong. The surprising results of my findings are discussed in this post.

When baby hummingbirds are born they have no feathers and their skin is darker then that of an adult hummingbird. By the time the young bird is only nine days old it will be covered in tiny feathers and it will also be able to maintain its own body temperature, which the young hummingbird could not do prior to this. At only two weeks of age a young hummingbird will begin looking like an adult hummingbird.

As a person who has studied and discovered a vast amount of information on the subject of hummingbirds, I find it somewhat embarrassing to admit that I did not know the answer to this question without doing some research on the subject. This just goes to show that it is impossible for anyone to know absolutely everything about any given topic no matter their knowledge level on a particular topic. It is also one of the many reasons that I am continually fascinated by the subject of hummingbirds and why I always look forward to sharing all that I discover along the way with all the readers of this blog.

Lastly, I would have loved being able to share this information with my mom. This is the type of little known facts that would have certainly captured her attention. While you are often on my mind mom, thoughts of you seem to especially come to mind as I write the content for this blog, because our shared love and enjoyment of hummingbirds will always serve as yet another way of commenting us to one another.

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Dear Mom Hummingbirds

What Questions Do You Have About Hummingbirds?

Dear Readers:

Today’s post is going to be a bit different then usual and I hope you will bare with me. Rather than covering a particular topic relating to hummingbirds in today’s post, I want to ask you what questions you may have about hummingbirds? Please share them with me because it will help me be better able to provide you with the exact type of information you would like to see discussed on this blog.

While this blog already contains a wide range of information about hummingbirds, that does not mean that a particular topic cannot be improved on or expanded upon. So, please let me hear from you to give me a better idea of the topics about hummingbirds that you would like to know much more about.

After all, I truly want this blog to serve as a place of information and discussion for all who are enjoy hummingbirds. As much as I love and enjoy sharing my knowledge of hummingbirds with all who read this blog, I want you to feel that you also play an important role in making this blog the best that it can possibly be. It is impossible for me to be aware of every possible question, comment or topic suggestion that you might have, so I have no real way of knowing if your needs are being met through this blog.

Thanks to all who read this blog! You make all my effort and hard work worth it. By letting me know about any questions you have about hummingbirds or even possible topic suggestions, you are playing a vital role in making this blog the best it can possibly be. Thanks! Let’s have those questions…please.

Sincerely,
Hummingbird

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Dear Mom Hummingbirds

An Unusual Danger to Hummingbirds

It is amazing the things that one can discover while doing research on the subject of hummingbirds. The topic of today’s post is certainly no different. While recently researching a wide variety of topics about hummingbirds, I discovered that a plant known as Common Burdock can be seen as an danger to hummingbirds. This discovery was not only surprising but also fascinating to me, as I am sure it would have been to my mother as well, so I decided to share this information with you my readers as well. This post will discuss what I uncovered about this fascinating topic.

Yes, it is true that hummingbirds are very dependent on a wide variety of plants as a valuable source of nectar and this post is not intended to dispute this but to point out that the Common Burdock is a plant which has the potential to cause harm to the hummingbird.

According to Mr. Bill Hilton of Operation Ruby Throat: The Hummingbird Project, hummingbirds have become impaled on cactus spines and also trapped due to sticky tree sap. Also, the seed pods of the Common Burdock have been well documented as a hazard of the hummingbird. The pods are known as “cockleburs” which are covered by tiny hooks that can attach to the fur or pant legs of potential seed disseminators. Due to the hummingbird’s tiny size the bird can become sired by the hooks of the “cockleburs” when they come to feed on a purple burdock flower.

I am not claiming that the Common Burdock is grave hazard to a hummingbird, just pointing out that it is a highly unusual one. I find it very interesting to know that a plant can be a hazard to a hummingbird and I wanted to share this will my readers.

On a positive note, it is possible for a hummingbird to be rescued if this occurs, but the bird has to be found in time and the person who finds the bird must know how to help the bird without causing it harm. Operation Ruby Throat: The Hummingbird Project was successfully able to rescue a female Ruby Throat found in West Virginia by cutting the hooks away from its legs and then banding the bird prior to setting the bird free once more.

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Dear Mom Hummingbirds

The Rapid Nature of a Hummingbird’s Wings

The beat of a hummingbird’s wing is undetectable to the human eye, because it occurs at such a rapid rate that it is appears to be nothing but a blur. The rapid nature of the hummingbird’s wing beats is what gives the hummingbird its name due to the humming sound that the wings make as they beat. The exact rate at which this occurs will depend on the direction of flight and air conditions, but the normal rate at which this occurs is between 50 and 200 beats per second.

Do you find that as astonishing as I do? It is this kind of information that never ceases to amaze and fascinate me. This is also the kind of unique information that my mom would have enjoyed discovering about hummingbirds. Since she is no longer living, I will take this opportunity to share it with all the readers of this blog.