Category: Hummingbirds

The name of the Cuban Emerald Hummingbird fascinates me and even brings to mind my mom who loved hummingbirds and  had various types of jewelery, including emeralds.  This particular hummingbird can be said to be one of the various jewels of the hummingbird word.  Here is some fascinating information about this species.

The Cuban Emerald Hummingbird lives in the woodlands and can be found in the Northern Bahamas, Cuba, and although quite rare it is even known to be a vagrant of southern Florida.

One thing that is unique about both sexes of the Cuban Emerald Hummingbird, both sexes are known to have a white spot behind their eyes.

Here is what you should look for if you are ever fortunate enough to spot a male or female Cuban Emerald Hummingbird.  The information is intended to assist you in your identification of the species.

The male Cuban Emerald Hummingbird is green in color, which is probably obvious from its name, has a blackish colored tail and white under tailcoverts, the lower mandible is mostly pinkish in color and their tail is forked.

The female Cuban Emerald Hummingbird is said to be green to bronze-green above and dusty violet on the tail.

My mom love things of beauty and brilliance, so I am certain that she would have appreciated the Cuban Emerald Hummingbird as a true jewel of nature.  While it is extremely unlikely that she would have ever had the opportunity to view one firsthand, I feel certain she would have loved discovering about this hummingbird species and I hope that you will also.

There are many dangers that a hummingbird can face, including one that you might you might not even consider, that is a factor each and every day. Do you have any idea what that might be? It is the weather and this post will explain how the weather can be a real source of danger to a hummingbird.

A heavy freeze can kill a hummingbird. This can cause the hummingbird’s body temperature to drop too low and the bird will not awaken from a state known as torpor, the hibernation like state that the bird will enter each evening to try and ensure its survival through the night. Extreme heat or drought can also result in the death of a hummingbird due to dehydration. Heavy rains occurring while a hummingbird is flying across the Gulf of Mexico have been known to be the cause of the hummingbird being pushed into the water and drowning because of it. Wind can be quite a strong and destructive force which can cause great harm to a hummingbird. It can cause the birds to be blown into things like thistles and thorns.

A hummingbird must face many challenges in its efforts to survive, but the weather is certainly a big challenge that has a huge impact on the hummingbird’s daily struggle to survive. This fight for survival is made even greater by the vastly changing nature of the weather from day to day.

Most hummingbird nest are found to be located at higher altitudes. Have you ever wondered why this occurs? Is this true of all species of hummingbirds? If these are questions that you have wanted answered about hummingbirds, this post will provide you with the information you seek.

Most hummingbird nesting sites are built at higher altitudes to protect the embryos. The location which is selected must maintain a temperature that is below 96 degrees F. to help ensure that the embryos do not become fried due to over exposure to extreme high temperatures.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is one species of hummingbird that does not absolutely have to have their nesting site located at a higher altitude. There may be other hummingbird species that this is also true of as well, but the reference source I consulted only mentioned the Ruby-throated Hummingbird specifically. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird has learned how to “beat the heat.” This hummingbird will build their nest among a canopy of broadleaf trees and the temperature there averages six degrees cooler and this protects their embryos from the threat of being fried.