Month: May 2010

Hummingbirds are certainly fascinating creatures, but the life of the hummingbird is not without its own unique set of challenges as well. This post will seek to explain just what some of these challenges are as compared to those of other species of birds.

One very significant difference from other types of birds is that the hummingbird is the lightest bird, weighing just 1/10th of an ounce. Just exactly how light wight is that? According to hummingbird expert Laura Erickson, you could mail nine or ten hummingbirds with a single stamp! This should help give you some idea of the tiny size of these birds.

The hummingbirds brain is small in actual size, but also quite large when compared to the hummingbirds weight. Let me explain what I mean. The brain of a hummingbird is about the size of a pea which is indeed quite small, but nevertheless the brain accounts for 4.2 percent of the hummingbirds total body weight. In spite of of the small physical size of their brain, hummingbirds are known to have excellent memories. A hummingbird will follow the same migration route year after year and can even remember the exact flowers that they have visited in the past and where these flowers are located.

It may surprise you to discover that hummingbirds are virtually incapable of walking. The feet of a hummingbird are very week which is why they will hop rather then walk short distances.

The hummingbird will fall prey to many animals. These include frogs, praying mantis and the spider, just to name a few. Yes, it is possible for a from to capture a hummingbird, but doing so will likely result in the death of both.

A praying mantis will successfully capture, kill, and eat a hummingbird. Usually, the praying mantis will position itself on a plant or a hummingbird feeder to which it observes a hummingbird coming repeatedly. Due to the lightning-fast manner in which the insect strikes it is often assured of success. It may take over a day for the bird to be consumed by the praying mantis, because of the relative size difference. While these insects are very beneficial in a garden, they should not be allowed on hummingbird feeders.

A spider can even be a predator of hummingbirds. This reason for this is due to the fact that the hummingbird uses spider webs as a source of material in the construction of their nest, because it is necessary to bind the nest to the tree branch or other substrate and to hold the nest together. Due to the extremely sticky nature of the webbing material, the hummingbird must be extremely careful while removing the pieces of webbing, for it may become entangled and be trapped there. The spider’s silk is extremely strong, as it has a strength that is comparable to steel on a weight basis.

The hummingbird has fascinated people, of various ages and knowledge levels about birds, for quite sometime. So, what is it about this amazing bird that seems to captivate and hold our attention? While there are probably several correct answers to this question, I would say, in my own opinion, that people are so captivated by the hummingbird because the hummingbird is very unique and different from other birds in a number of positive ways. This post will discuss these ways.

First of all, compared to other birds, hummingbirds have the fastest metabolism. As a result of this, the hummingbird is able to digest nectar very rapidly and efficiently. It takes less then 20 minutes for the nectar to l pass entirely through the hummingbird’s digestive system!

Do not let the hummingbird’s extremely high metabolic rate fool you. This does not mean that hummingbirds until they are full at every opportunity. During daylight hours, the hummingbird will eat frequently for short periods of time. At night, the hummingbird will eat as heavily as the nectar supply will allow. The hummingbird may store a third of its weight in nectar to ensure that it will survive its overnight fast while maintaining its normal resting metabolic rate.

The flight ability of the hummingbird is also unique in a number of ways. Hummingbirds are known for their ability to hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 15–80 times per second (depending on the species). Capable of sustained hovering, hummingbirds also have the ability to fly backward, being the only group of birds able to do so.Hummingbirds may also fly vertically and laterally.

The hummingbird has the largest heart in proportion to body size. The heart represents 2.4 percent of their body weight. While this may not seem like much, it is actually a huge amount when compared to the hummingbird’s small size.

The hummingbird is also unique because it has the fastest heart and wing beats. The heart rate of a hummingbird is an astounding 1,260 beats per minute! On average, hummingbird’s wings beat about 52 times per second. That too is amazingly fast!

The hummingbird is also unique due to its brilliantly iridescent feathers. It may surprise you to discover that it is only male hummingbirds which have the brilliant iridescent throat feathers. This feature may serve as a way to help you distinguish the males from the females. The iridescent throat feathers serve two extremely important functions: attracting a female and defending their territory. They use these to display to one another. Females find it attractive, and other males are repelled. Male hummingbirds are extremely feisty and territorial and these feathers are part of their territorial display.

The hummingbird is unique, in a number of positive ways, when compared to other bird species. This may not be every way in which a hummingbird is unique, but the are the ones that stand out in my own mind.