Category: Hummingbirds

The country of Ecuador has an astounding 130 different species of hummingbirds.  Just to give you some perspective here, there are only some 17 different species of hummingbirds which are found in the United States.  How amazing it must be to have the opportunity to possibly view so many different hummingbird species in one country.  A few of the hummingbirds that you might witness in Ecuador include the following:  the Speckled Hummingbird, the Purple-throated Woodstar, and the Violet-tailed Sylph.

The hummingbird preforms a vital service as a  pollinator.  Many trees and plants would not be able to reproduce without the help of the hummingbird.  Have you ever wondered how the hummingbird  transfers the pollen from one location to another?  If so, this post will provide you with the answer.

The pollen will get on the hummingbird’s bill and feathers as they are trusting their beaks within a flower to feed.  At each flower that the hummingbird visits throughout the day they will leave a little pollen and collect some more from that flower.  The result of this process will be seeds and fruits which will help serve as a food source for other birds and animals.  These animals will then spread or scatter the seeds which will then enable the next generation of plants to come into existence.

There are four species of hummingbirds which are included on the National Audubon Society’s Watch List of declining and/or rare birds.  These species are the Costa’s, Calliope, and Allen’s and Rufous Hummingbird. The Rufous Hummingbird is particularly of concern because it has declined by an alarming 58 per-cent in the last forty years.

Whenever a hummingbird leaves the nest they are fully grown and able to fly.  You will never see a "baby" hummingbird at your feeder, because a baby hummingbird is incapable of flight.  If you should ever witness what appears to be an unusually small hummingbird visiting a flower or feeder then you have likely seen a Hummingbird Moth.  These are quite commonly mistaken for hummingbirds, so you are not alone if you yourself have ever before made the same mistake.

Within nature ever animal serves some sort of purpose. with this thought in mind, have you ever before wondered what vital role the hummingbird might play in nature?  If so, this post will provide you with the answer you have been seeking.

As migratory birds, hummingbirds serve two very important purposes: they transport resources between the tropical and temperate ecosystems located thousands of miles apart and they serve as pollinators. This is a vital service because many trees, flowers would not be able to reproduce without the aid of the hummingbird.