Category: Dear Mom

Hummingbirds are so small that it seems impossible that any of their organs could weigh very much. This got me to wondering, just how much does a hummingbird’s heart actually weigh? Here is what I discovered on the topic and I hope you will find it to be quite fascinating.

It is impossible to give you an exact weight of a hummingbird’s heart, but I can tell you that a hummingbird’s heart weighs 2.5% of the bird’s total body weight. The exact weight of the heart would vary slightly due to the fact that different species weigh different amounts and even within the same species the male and female weigh different amounts.

It may even surprise you to discover that the human heart is not very big at all, as it is no bigger then a clinched fist, and only weighs between 9-11 ounces. How can something so small be so powerful and manage to keep us alive? A diseased human heart can weigh up to 2.2 pounds.

It is these kinds of little know facts about hummingbirds that never cease to amaze and fascinate me. That must be do to the fact that I am a huge trivia buff, on just about any subject but especially hummingbirds. This is the kind of information that I know my mom and oldest brother would want to know about along with me.

Today, for no particular reason, I have been thinking of my oldest brother, who lives elsewhere and whom I have not seen in more then a year. He will soon be coming home for a visit and our family reunion. Yea! Can you tell I am really excited? Well, you must be wondering what does my brother’s upcoming visit have to do with the subject of hummingbirds? Nothing directly, but my brother is a big trivia buff so I am sure that while he is here he will share with me some of the interesting trivia facts, on a wide range of topics, that he has discovered since I last saw him. Since the subject of hummingbirds is one on which I have a distinct knowledge advantage over him, I want to be able to offer him a few bits of trivia on the subject of hummingbirds.

A hummingbird is the smallest of all animals that has a backbone and it is also the smallest bird.

Whenever a hummingbird is in the hibernation-like state known as torpor, their metabolic rate will slow down to 1/15 of its normal rate. A hummingbird will enter the state of torpor to help it conserve energy whenever food is scarce or while they sleep.

Percentage wise,4.2% of its total body weight, makes the hummingbird’s brain the largest of all birds.

I hope all of you like my oldest brother enjoy discovering interesting trivia facts. These are just a few of the many interesting facts that there are about hummingbirds.

I have been fascinated about hummingbirds for quite sometime now and have actively been writing about them for more then two years now.  Much to my astonishment, even with all the information I have learned about the hummingbird within that time, my education on this subject is still always on going.

This post will share a few surprising facts or bits of trivia on the subject of hummingbirds.  As I read this information,  my mind turned to thoughts of my mom because she would have enjoyed hearing about it, and I thought others might as well so that is what prompted today’s post.

Here is a surprising fact about the diet of baby hummingbirds.  While they remain in the nest, their diet consist of only insects which they are feed by the mother.  Did you know this?  I did not.  This got me to thinking, “how does a young hummingbird (one that has just left the nest and is now on its own) know to add nectar as a part of its diet?”  The only way I can explain this is that it is something that the young birds know instinctively.

A hummingbird’s diet is composed of both nectar and insects.  The nectar provides the hummingbird the energy needed for flying and the insects are the hummingbird’s source of protein.

One more fascinating hummingbird fact to share with you. Not all species of hummingbirds migrate and of those that do not all species migrate at the same time.  The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the first to begin the migratory journey, because this species is the most sensitive to cooler temperatures.