Category: Hummingbirds

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Hummingbirds

What is the Migratory Bird Treaty Act?

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 is the law in the united States which regulates the possession and capture of any migratory bird. Hummingbirds are specifically listed on a list of Migratory Birds under the United States Code of Federal Regulations. This law makes it illegal to possess a hummingbird, a hummingbird nest or egg in any way shape or form in captivity.

Why would anyone violate this law? You would be surprised why someone might want to to so. Many people might have the mistaken idea that a hummingbird would make a neat pet. This is not true and you should never try to turn a wild bird into a pet! Many people have never before seen a hummingbird nest or egg, so they may want to keep it as a keepsake of having found it. Whatever reason someone may think of as a reason why they might violate this law, please do not do so!

Violating this law has some consequences. First, the bird will immediately be taken from you. Secondly, you will face some hefty financial fines, which can run between $15,000-$200,000.

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Hummingbird Pictures Hummingbirds

The Blue-throated Hummingbird

Someone recently asked me what is the largest hummingbird species found in the United States? I must admit that I did not know the answer at the time this question was asked of me. This prompted me to do some research so that I could return to my friend with the correct answer to their question. Here is what I discovered as a result of my research.

The Blue-throated Hummingbird is the largest hummingbird species found in the United States. It is three times larger then the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, weighing an astounding 7.6 grams. This species of hummingbird measures 5 inches long and has an 8 inch wingspan.

The bird is uniformly gray below, with a bronze rump and an oversized blackish tail with large white corners. It is not easy to see the blue on the male’s throat, despite the hummingbird’s name. Relative of the Blue-throated Hummingbird, the Amethyst-throated Hummingbird and others, typically have plumage showing a higher degree of sexual dimorphism, and more extensive iridescence.

A Blue-throated Hummingbird at a flower
A Blue-throated Hummingbird at a flower

All factual information contained in this post comes from the National Audubon Society and I wish to give proper credit for the information found here.

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Dear Mom Hummingbirds

A Hummingbird’s Heart Size

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.

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Hummingbird Pictures Hummingbirds

The Broad-tailed Hummingbird

In this post you will see a photo of a Broad-tailed Hummingbird as well as discovering a few facts about this particular species of hummingbird.

A Broad-tailed Hummingbird feeding at a flower
A Broad-tailed Hummingbird feeding at a flower

When in flight, the male Broad-tailed Hummingbird’s wings make a cricket-like whistling sound.

It is a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird which holds the North American age record, 12 years old. This is far older then the average hummingbird which usually only lives between 3-4 years.

The females of this species of hummingbird are larger then the males. The female weighs 3.6 grams while the male only weighs 3.16 grams.

The Broad-tailed hummingbird is observed in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and Manitoba. They are known to winter in Mexico.

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Hummingbird Food Hummingbirds

The Calorie Needs of a Hummingbird

The hummingbird is a highly active bird and must eat regularly to meet its energy needs and help ensure its very survival. Does having to eat so frequently throughout the day mean that the hummingbird has a large calorie intake per day? This post will provide you with the answer to this question.

A hummingbird will feed between 5-10 per hour, but each feeding will last between 30-60 in length. In the course of a day, a hummingbird will consume about its weight in sugar water or nectar per day. During a normal day, a hummingbird only needs about 10 calories worth of food to ensure its survival. That’s correct, only 10 calories worth of food per day! The calories can be come in the form of carbohydrates, from sugar water or flower nectar, or fats and proteins, from small insects and spiders.

As you can see from reading this post, a hummingbird requires amazingly few calories to ensure its survival. It would be so nice if the same could also be said about humans!