Studying The Amazing Hummingbird

Spanning around three and three fourths of an inch

, from the tip of its beak to its tail, the hummingbird is one of the tiniest birds around. And it hardly weights anything at all.

Almost all birds, when feeding, will either land on a tree branch to search for insects or they will go to ground to forage among the many insects and plant food found there. Hummingbirds are a bit different. They are most noted for its ability to feed in the air as it hovers above plants containing nectar. It uses the amazing speed of its wings, which beat at around 55 times per second, to remain in a stationary spot above or adjacent to the plant.

If you think that this constant hovering and wing beating consumes an extraordinary amount of energy, you would be right. In fact, with a resting heartbeat of more than 600 beats per minute, which can go to over 1,000 beats per minute during high speed activity, hummingbirds have one of the highest metabolic rates of any birds.

The primary reason that humming birds seem to be perpetually feeding is their need to sustain their extraordinary metabolic rate. As nighttime approaches, their metabolism gradually slows down allowing them to get a good nights rest. If not for this quirk of evolution, the hummingbird could not survive as it would have to feed 24 hours a day.

Hummingbirds are among the best friends that plants could wish for. They, along with bees, and many other creatures are essential to the pollination process that plants use to propagate. As the hummingbird flits from flower to flower, pollen from one plant sticks to the bird's bill. It is then carried along on the base of the bill until the bird reaches the next plant where it may be deposited. And since they feed so much, hummingbirds greatly help to speed along the pollination process.

The hummingbird is among the more colorful of birds. In fact, quite a few people are attracted to them by their colorful red and green plumage and frenetic activity. They are one of the more interesting birds to observe as they feed. Many homeowners try to attract them to their garden areas by populating their gardens with bird feeders designed specifically to attract hummingbirds.

Instead of nectars from flowers, many homeowners will choose to purchase nectar from a pet shop or home center or create their own homemade nectar. Other homeowners, especially those who love plants, will simply plant flowers that hummingbirds will be naturally attracted to such as black locust, jewelweeds, and others.

In the beginning, you probably won't attract a lot of hummingbirds to your garden. But, once they find either your feeders or your plants, you can be sure that they will visit your garden often.

Studying The Amazing Hummingbird

By: Ken Lawless

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