The sugar found in nectar solution is a great source of energy for the hummingbird, which has a 97 percent rate of efficiency for converting it into energy. Astonishingly, the hummingbird will completely digest natural sucrose (sugar) in only 20 minutes.
If you have ever wondered about the energy needs of the hummingbird, it may shock you to discover that the hummingbird will require one and a half times its body weight in nectar to meet its daily energy needs. The amount of nectar that a hummingbird will require varies from day to day and can be affected by a wide range factors including activity level, air temperature, quality of available resources, and time of year.
The quantity and quality of the nectar which is available is extremely important to a hummingbird. This is why the hummingbird will select the flower with the highest nectar output and the richest concentration of sugars, regardless of the shape or color of the flower. The taste of the nectar is also far more important then the specific color of the flower.
One reply on “Nectar As An Energy Source for Hummingbirds”
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