Category: Hummingbirds

It is a well known fact that hummingbirds are extremely intelligent animals.  That said, just how intelligent are hummingbirds?  The answer to this question may truly amaze you. 

As absolutely amazing as this seems, a hummingbird possess the intelligence to remember every single flower they have ever visited and how long it will take for that flower to once again refill,so they can once again feed from it!  A hummingbird also follows the same migratory route each and every year.  Once a hummingbird discovers that your yard has hummingbird feeders and various plants that attract that attract them they will return there year after year because it will provide them will a dependable food source.

The brain of a hummingbird is 4.2 % of its total body weight, which is the largest proportion of any member of the bird kingdom.  So physical size isn’t what really matters, but rather it is all about brain power and hummingbirds have certainly proven that they have plenty of that.

• The Buff-bellied Hummingbird has the distinction of being the least studied off all the hummingbird species found in the United States.
• The Buff-bellied Hummingbird is unique because it travels to the northeast from its breeding areas which are located in south Texas.  This is a unique movement for a North American hummingbird and as a result it is being studied in an  effort to explain its purpose.

The exact length of a hummingbird’s migratory journey will depend on the specific species of hummingbird to which you are referring.  This journey is not without danger.  The hazards that the hummingbird may face during the migratory journey include:  shortages of food long their journey, unusual or unexpected predators, being without shelter when bad weather strikes, and even windows which hummingbirds often run into.

Nature is all about survival in the animal kingdom.  Hummingbirds are no different.  It may surprise you to know that a high number of young hummingbird hatchlings don’t survive.  Studies that have been done on fledgling success, those hummingbirds that make it from hatching to full feathering, range from 17% to 59% of the number of eggs which had been laid.

There are a number of explanations for the high rate of hummingbird mortality.  The number one explanation is the various predators of the hummingbird.  A hummingbird mother will try fiercely to defend her eggs or young, but even so it is quite often with out success.

Other explainations also include the following: bad weather such as extreme cold or heat, heavy rains or even high winds.  Accidents also help to account for the high mortality rate of  hummingbird fledgling death.

A human being has a normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees.  Have you ever wondered how a hummingbird’s body temperature compares to a humans?  It may surprise you to discover that the hummingbird has a higher body temperature then we humans do.  If so, then this post will provide you with the bit of information you seek.  A hummingbird has a normal body temperature of between 105-108 degrees.  That body temperature can lower by between 20 -50 degrees whenever the hummingbird is trying to conserve energy while in a state of torpor or while food is scarce.