Hummingbird: The Tiny Jewels from the Americas
Hummingbird Species ... Hummingbird Feeders & Feed ... Attracting Hummingbirds ... Hummingbird Books
Useful / Interesting Links:
- White Hummingbirds (Albinos or Partial) - Images and Information
- Finding a Hummingbird Nest or Chicks (on the ground, injured or orphaned)
- Finding Injured (Adult) Hummingbirds
- Hummingbird EXTREME Metabolism and Survival & Flight Adaptions - Amazing Facts
- Feeding & Attracting Hummingbirds To Your Garden
Bookmarks on this page:
- Overview (scroll down)
- Distribution / Range
- Description
- Breeding / Nesting
- Diet / Feeding
- Lifespan & Predation
- Hummingbird Sounds / Vocalizations
Overview
Hummingbirds are the second largest family of birds with over 340 species - 29 of them are on Birdlife International endangered list.
These dominant nectarivorous birds are only found in the Americas (New World). They are found as far north as Alaska and as far south as Chile. Hummingbirds, South America. An (introduced?) population has been reported as being common on the Indonesian island of Bali.
Old World ecological equivalents include the Australian honey-eaters and the African sunbirds. They have specialized bill shapes and foot types to help them retrieve nectar from flowers; and many of them have a colorful or iridescent plumage.
One of the rarest hummingbirds is the Marvelous Spatuletail which is only found in a small area in northern Peru.
The most common species of hummingbirds include ...
- Allen's Hummingbirds
- Anna's Hummingbirds
- Berylline Hummingbirds
- Black-chinned Hummingbirds
- Blue-throated Hummingbirds
- Broad-billed Hummingbirds
- Broad-tailed Hummingbirds
- Buff-bellied Hummingbirds
- Costa's Hummingbirds
- Lucifer Hummingbirds
- Magnificent Hummingbirds
- Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
- Rufous Hummingbirds
- Violet-crowned Hummingbirds
- White-eared Hummingbirds
- Xantus' hummingbirds
The hummingbird family is divided into two subfamilies:
- Trochilinae: all the colorful species, numbering nearly 300
- Phaethornithinae: includes the 6 genera and over 40 species of hermits, which have a mostly brownish plumage
Hummingbirds are typically brilliantly colored birds that are found only in the Americas
Their range stretches from Alaska and Canada down south to the southernmost tip of the South American mainland (Tierra del Fuego). About seventeen species occur in the United States; and the rest in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean islands.
Until recently, we assumed that hummingbirds never occurred outside the Americas; however, in 2004, Dr. Gerald Mayr of the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt am Main identified two 30-million-year-old hummingbird fossils that were found in a clay pit at Wiesloch–Frauenweiler, south of Heidelberg, Germany, This finding, in addition to some Asian fossils, suggests, that this group may have originated in the Old World. (The "Old World" includes Africa, Asia and Europe).
Hummingbirds are amongst our most unique birds.
They are among the smallest of birds, and include the smallest living bird species - the Bee Hummingbird, which weighs less than a U.S. or Canadian penny.
They have the highest metabolism of any animal on Earth - with the exception of insects.
They have just about the longest migration route of any bird (except for some much larger birds). Some hummingbirds travel 2,000 miles (3,200 km) during their migration, including an amazing 500 mile (800 km) non-stop flight over the Gulf of Mexico.
Plus, they are more maneuverable than helicopters, with flying abilities that any other bird can only dream of.
Click here to learn more amazing facts about hummingbirds.
Naming
The "hummingbird's" name is derived from the characteristic hum made by their rapid wing beats.
The hummingbird species were often named for their physical characteristics, such as Fiery-tailed Awlbill, Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Brazilian Ruby, Green-crowned Brilliant and Shining Sunbeam.
Others were named for their particular locations, like the Mangrove Hummingbird found only in mangrove swamps.
Other languages named them for either physical traits or feeding habits; for example in Portuguese, they are known as Beija-Flor (translated: Flower Kisser); in Spanish, they are known as Chupaflor, Picaflor or Joyas Voladoras (translated: Flower-Sucker or Poker, or Flying Jewels); in the Caribbean, they are commonly referred to as "El Zunzun" (translated: ‘going fast’) - in reference to their quick movements.
A group of hummingbirds has several collective nouns, including a "bouquet", "glittering", " hover", "shimmer", and "tune" of hummingbirds.
Other Global Names:
German, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Norwegian, Swedish: Kolibri ... Spanish / Italian: colibrí, Chupaflor, Picaflor or Joyas Voladoras ... Portuguese: beija-flor ... French: oiseau-mouche ... Dutch: Kolibrie ... Russian: колибри ... Chinese: 蜂鸟, 蜂鳥 ... Japanese: ハチドリ ... Korean: 천지 ... Czech: Kolibřík ... Hebrew: יוק-הדבש ... Persian: مرغ مگس خوار
Where can I find you, Hummingbirds? (Distribution / Range)
The approximately 340 species of hummingbirds can only be found in the Americas.
They range from southeastern Alaska and western Canada through the United States and Central America (including the Caribbean islands) down to Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost point of South America.
290 hummingbird species are native to the South American countries of Colombia and Ecuador. In Ecuador alone, 163 hummingbird species are found -- it has more hummingbird species than any other country.
Over 50 hummingbird species are native to Mexico.
23 hummingbird species are found in North America, mostly west of the Rocky Mountains and south of the Mexican-American border.
- Eastern United States: The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the exception as it is native to the eastern United States, specifically it occurs from Maine south to Florida, to just west of the Mississippi River.
- Western United States: The Black-chinned Hummingbird is the most widespread and common species in the western United States.
- Alaska & Canada: The Rufous Hummingbird nests the farthest north, into Alaska and western Canada, needing to survive below-freezing temperatures. It is the most common hummingbird species in Canada.
Most hummingbirds that breed in the United States and Canada migrate south in fall to winter in northern Mexico or Central America. Some southern South American species migrate north to winter in the tropics.
A few hummingbird species are year-round residents in the warmer coastal and interior desert regions; for example the Anna's Hummingbird found in the southern California inland ranging to southern Arizona and north to southwestern British Columbia (the western most of Canada's provinces).
Hummingbirds have also been reported to be quite common on Bali - an Indonesian island. Nobody really knows how they got there, but they have been resident on this island for several decades. They are mainly metallic glossy green and look similar to the Steely-vented Hummingbird, except it seems to be a little smaller than its Central American cousin. In the Balinese language, these hummingbirds are commonly known as "cit jlanting" - "Cit" referring to its "cit cit cit" calls and "Jlanting" referring to the fact that this bird is always hanging on the flower. Reported by Jean Redman who lived in Bali for several years). It is possible that this is an unidentified sunbird instead, or that these are true hummingbirds that were once introduced to the island.
Migration
There are some discussions about what causes the hummingbirds to migrate. Most agree that the urge to travel long distances to and from their breeding territories is brought on by hormonal changes triggered by changing environmental conditions, such as shorter or longer days, environmental temperatures, and availability of food.
For example, at the end of the flowering season, most species found in Canada and the United States migrate south to Mexico and Central America. The migrating hummingbirds travel huge distances, averaging 20 to 25 miles (30 - 40 km) per day, stopping only to eat and rest. Many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds travel 2,000 miles (3,200 km) to go from Panama to their destination in Canada or vice versa, which involves an amazing 500 mile (800 km) non-stop flight across the Gulf of Mexico.
Increasing numbers of formerly migratory hummingbirds are now remaining in their breeding territory -- particularly, if the climate is generally moderate and food is available year-round.
Some hummingbird species even survive northern winters and return to the same gardens year after year - due in part to hummingbird feeders and winter-blooming gardens.
The Rufous Hummingbird breeds further north than any other hummingbird species and they have to tolerate temperatures below freezing. This is possible if adequate shelter and hummingbird feeders are available.
Some are changing their migratory routes from wintering in tropical Mexico to traveling within the United States instead. For example, the Rufous Hummingbirds breed in western North America and are wintering in increasing numbers in the southeastern United States.
Male hummingbirds usually migrate up to three weeks earlier than the females. One assumes that the males are doing so because they want to have their choice of the best territories, which improves their chances of attracting females for mating.
Hummingbird Migration Facts & Myths:
- Hummingbirds migrate on the backs of geese or other larger birds. Geese fly on different migration paths or fly-zones than hummingbirds do.
This myth may have been started by John J. Audubon who shot a goose and when turning it over, a hummingbird reportedly flew out. However, there is no evidence to support the theory that the hummingbird actually "hitched a ride" with the goose.
- Keeping feeders out too long will stop hummingbirds from migrating to their wintering grounds.
Please refer to this webpage for information on this topic.
Habitat
The majority of hummingbird species occur naturally in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Central and South America; some species also occur in temperate climates. A few survive in the colder climates of Alaska and Canada.
Hummingbirds are found in a variety of different habitats, including grassland, wooded and forested areas, as well as desert environments. They also occur at a range of altitudes, up to 14,000 feet (4,300 m) in the South American Andes Mountains.
Description
Hummingbird Size
The average hummingbird measures about 3.5 - 4 inches (8.9 - 10 cm) and weighs about 0.106 ounces (3 grams).
The smallest - the Bee Hummingbird of Cuba measures only 2 inches or 5 cm in length and weighs between 0.06 - 0.07 oz (1.8 - 2 g) - which is about the same size of a bee for which it was named. This is also the smallest living bird species on Earth.
to
the largest - the Giant Hummingbird of South America is about 8 inches or 20 cm long and weighs about 0.70 oz or 20 grams.
Male & Female Differences: In most hummingbird species, the females are up to 25% larger in size than males, and their bills tends to be a little longer as well.
Physical Features
Bill & Tongue: Hummingbirds are generally long and either straight or with a slight down-curve.
Some species have bill shapes that are specially adapted for the flowers that are found in their native range. For example, Thornbills have short, sharp bills adapted for flowers with short petals (corollas). Their sharp bills are then used to pierce the bases of longer blooms.
The Sword-billed Hummingbirds have the longest bills, proportionate to size - which allows them to feed on deep flowers found in the Andes Mountains.
Sicklebills have extremely down-curved bills that allow them to retrieve nectar from the curved corollas of flowers in the family Gesneriaceae.
The Fiery-tailed Awlbill has a bill with an upturned tip and the male Tooth-billed Hummingbird has barracuda-like spikes at the tip of his long, straight bill.
The top bill and the lower bill usually overlap, with the bill fitting tightly inside the upper bill. When hummingbirds feed on nectar, the bill is usually only opened slightly, allowing the tongue to dart out and into the interior of flowers. The tongue is grooved on the sides to allow them to easily collect the nectar.
Plumage: The plumages of the various hummingbird species vary from mostly green to mostly brownish (the hermits) - but all hummingbird species have at least a few green feathers.
Many hummingbird species have brilliant iridescent markings (mostly the males). The iridescence is created by a light refraction from the prism-like cells on certain outer feathers. The light is split into varying wavelengths causing us to see varying colors at different angles and light conditions. Therefore, their plumage can look dull and dark from one angle and then brilliant and colorful from another. These iridescent feather patches look much more vivid than the colors of simply pigmented feathers.
Hummingbirds can show off their colors (for example, to attract a prospective mate), or they can hide them by turning away from the light (to hide from predators).
The White Hummingbirds / Albinos: Even though albino hummingbirds are rare, a few of them are reported each year. True albino hummingbirds have a completely white plumage, flesh-colored feet and bill, and red eyes. Other variations are leucistic forms or partial albinos, which may have some coloration on their plumage. Pliease click here for information and photos.
Male or Female: Male hummingbirds are usually brightly colored. The females of most species are duller, which allows them to be camouflaged when nesting.
Juvenile Hummingbirds: Immature birds generally look like females. Some subtle differences may only be seen under close examination.
Some juvenile hummingbirds (depending on the species) may have thin, tan or light grey edging to their outer feathers, which gives it a scaled appearance. The edging is particularly apparent on the head.
Many young hummingbirds also have broken streaks of dark feathers on their plumage.
As young males molt into adult plumage, more and more iridescent throat or crown feathers (depending on the species) can be seen.
Young hummingbirds have yellow markings inside the mouth, which can easily be seen if the bird's bill is open. These bright yellow markings actually help hummingbird mothers find the chick's mouth in the typically dark nesting area, so that they can more easily feed them. Really young chicks also have yellow "lips" for added visibility.
Interesting Physical Curiosities:
- Smallest Size Body: Hummingbirds are unique amongst birds because of their small size (2 - 20 g or 0.07 - 0.7 oz ), elevated average body temperature (~40° C or 104° F), and rapid heart rate (up to 1,260 beats per minute) (Johnsgard, 1983).
- Largest Sized Organs: They have the largest brain (4.2% of the total body weight), the largest heart and the largest breast and flight muscles (30% of its total body mass) in proportion to body size than any other bird (Long, 1997).
- Muscles: A hummingbird's flight feathers make up about 30% of its total weight.
- Brainy Birds: A hummingbird's brain makes up about 4.2% of its total body weight - the largest proportion in the bird world. Considering that these amazing creatures find their favorite flower patches and hummingbird feeders year-after-year, after traveling over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) to and from their winter and breeding territories (and along their migration routes!) proves that they are smart, too!
- Wings: The hummingbird is the only living bird that can rotate its wings in a circle, allowing it to fly both forwards and backwards; fly up or down, move sideways, or hover in one spot
- Feet: Their feet are weak and are only used for perching and scratching the head. While most birds take off by leaping into the air by pushing away from their perch, hummingbird lifts off by rapidly moving its wings. (Source: "Hummingbird," The International Wildlife Encyclopedia, 1969, Vol. 9, p. 1136).
- Tongue: A hummingbird's tongue is grooved like the shape of a "W," with tiny hairs on the tip of the tongue to help lap up nectar with their tongues.
- Beak: The hummingbird's upper beak overlaps the edges of its lower bottom beak. Its lower beak is slightly flexible.
- Feathers: An average-sized hummingbird has about 940 feathers.
- Smell: Hummingbirds (like other birds) have no sense of smell and many of their preferred flowers are not fragrant, unlike flowers favored by insects.
- Hearing: Hummingbirds can hear better than humans
- Sight: Hummingbirds can see farther than humans, and they can see ultraviolet light.
Confusion: Hummingbird or Insect?
Particularly the smaller hummingbird species are easily confused with insects - specifically with bees, or the hawk, clearwing or sphinx moths. Adding to the confusion is the fact that these insects are often found in the hummingbirds' territory and have similar flying and feeding patterns.
Moths have a couple of sensors or "antennas" on top of the head. Provided you can get close enough to see them, this would be a good way of differentiating them from the hummingbirds. They may also have some yellow at the backend.
What's on your Menu, Hummingbird? (Diet / Feeding)
Nectar (a sweet liquid inside flowers) is the first thing coming to mind when considering what a hummingbird eats. Adult hummingbirds require copious amounts of energy, and so they crave the sugar in the nectar found in many tubular flowers.
Like bees, they are able to assess the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat; they reject flower types that produce nectar that is less than 10% sugar and prefer those whose sugar content is stronger.
As they collect this nectar, their grooved tongues dart in and out of the flower up to 13 times per SECOND through bills that are usually long and straight or with a down-curve. The shape of the bill is adapted to the shape of the mostly tubular flowers found within their range.
Hummingbirds need to feed 5 to 8 times every hour, but each feeding lasts a minute or less (~30 to 60 seconds), and they must visit hundreds of flowers daily. Their extremely high metabolism requires them to eat enormous amounts of food. In fact, they eat up to 10 times their body weight in food every day - even more in preparation for migration when they usually double their weight to be able to meet the challenging demands associated with the pending migration that may require them to travel over two thousand miles.
Benefits for Native Plants. In the process of feeding, flowers benefit from cross-pollination as the hummingbird’s head becomes covered with pollen and spreads from flower to flower. As they move to the next flower, the pollen is deposited on the next flower, which is then able to produce seeds and fruit. Some native plants rely on hummingbirds for pollination and would not be able to exist without the "services" inadvertently rendered by the hummingbirds.
Other Foods: Hummingbirds cannot live on nectar alone but require other nutrients, especially protein, but also amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc, obtained through consuming copious amounts of small insects and spiders, much of which they catch in flight. The percentage of insects in their diets increases drastically during the breeding season - particularly when feeding young, when their requirement for protein increases drastically.
Hummingbirds also take advantage of hummingbird feeders and many people put hummingbird feeders up to allow them to attract hummers and observe them up close. The below link will provide information about what feeders work best and what hummingbird food recipe to use. Most commercially available products contain chemicals and other ingredients that may be harmful to hummingbirds - and are expensive to boot.
- Feeding Hummingbirds & other Nectar-feeding Birds the Right Way - Recipes and Instructions
Only about 10 to 15 % of a hummingbird’s time is spent eating; most of the rest is spent perching, self-preening and sunbathing
They also require water for drinking and bathing.
How is Motherhood, Hummingbird? (Breeding / Reproduction)
Hummingbirds, in general, are solitary and neither live nor migrate in flocks; and there is no pair bond for hummingbirds. The male's only involvement in the reproductive process is the actual mating with the female.
Infant care has been observed to be a mother’s job in the hummingbird world, with males often being polygamous (mating with several females). The males do not participate in choosing the nest location, building the nest or raising the chicks.
Nests are usually built in trees or shrubs. However, several tropical species attach their nests to the undersides of leaves. The nest size varies depending on the species - from smaller than half of a walnut shell up to 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter.
The hummingbird female will camouflage her nest by attaching mosses and lichens from the tree they are nesting in to make the nest virtually disappear.
Eggs: Typically, two pea-sized plain white eggs are deposited in the nest cushioned with spider’s webs, butterfly cocoon’s and mosses. The nest is designed to expand as the babies grow larger through the use of spider silk in weaving.
Even if two eggs are laid on different days, the young will hatch together in 14 - 23 days - depending on hummingbird species, ambient (environmental) temperature, and female attentiveness to the nest. The smaller hummingbird species have shorter incubation periods than larger ones.
During the night, hummingbirds generally become "torpid" - which basically means that their bodies go into a state of torpor (temporary or semi-hibernation) to conserve energy. (Please click here for more information). However, when incubating eggs, female hummingbirds do not enter torpidity because they need body heat to keep the eggs warm.
The chicks hatch either featherless or only with very sparse feather down and have darkish skin. At this stage, they are blind and completely helpless. Their mother alone protects them and she must almost constantly help them stay warm until about nine days later when they are covered with tiny feathers. Then the chicks are left alone even on cooler nights - probably due to the fact that the small nest can't accommodate the growing chicks and the mother at the same time.
The babies keep the nests clean instinctively by doing "their business" over the edge. The female feeds the young about every 20 minutes half-digested insects combined with nectar to supply them with the protein, amino acids and other nutrients necessary for growth and development. When feeding the young, she inserts her long, slim bill into the open mouth of a nestling and regurgitating the food into its crop.
The hummingbird female will bravely defend her nest and her chicks from predators - even going as far as attacking large birds of prey, such as hawks, and humans.
The chicks leave the nest (fledge) when they are about 20 days old. The mother continues to help them in their first few weeks after they leave the nest, directing them to choice hunting locations for bugs and for gathering nectar. Some hummingbird mothers will also help orphaned hummingbird chicks.
Hummingbird females usually only nest once, but occasionally twice per year - if conditions are favorable (plenty of food for her chicks and a safe nest site).
Lifespan & Predation
Hummingbirds have long lifespans for organisms with such rapid metabolisms.
The lifespan for hummingbirds in the wild varies by species, for most it is about 3 to 5 years. Larger hummingbird species can live over a decade.
- The record of longest living hummingbird was held by a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird. She was banded as an adult in Colorado in 1976, then recaptured in the same location in 1987 - making her at least 12 years old.
- One female Black-chinned Hummingbird was at least 10 years and 1 month.
- One much larger Buff-bellied Hummingbird was recorded as 11 years and 2 months.
- The oldest known surviving Ruby-throated Hummingbird is a banded bird that was 6 years 11 months old.
- The oldest known Rufous Hummingbird is a banded bird that was 8 years 1 month old.
However, many hummingbirds don't make it through their first year. They are particularly vulnerable in the period between hatching and leaving the nest (fledging).
Various larger birds, snakes and mammals raid hummingbird nests for eggs and chicks.
Animals known to prey on hummingbirds, their eggs and young, include:
- cats
- birds (small hawks, owls, shrikes, roadrunners, orioles, tanagers, large flycatchers, grackles, herons, gulls)
- largemouth bass (fish) - which will catch small birds close to the water surface
- green frogs and bull frogs
- spiders and praying mantises.
Hummingbird Sounds / Vocalizations
Hummingbirds produce two types of sounds - vocalizations and the sounds their wings or tails make.
Vocalizations
Hummingbirds have relatively weak vocal cords and most species only make chirping and chattering sounds.
They have different calls / songs for when they are excited, defending their territory, wowing potential mates or simply when flying from flower to flower. Some hummingbird enthusiasts noted that they know what a hummingbird is doing just by the sound they are making at the time.
The males are generally more vocal than the females.
Sounds the tails or wings make
Hummingbirds were named for the low-pitched humming sound they make through the rapid movement of their wings, when they are in flight. The sounds differ depending on how fast a hummingbird beats its wings.
The males of some hummingbird species rely on their tail feathers to make chirping sounds during a high-speed display dive to attract females.
Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, conducted by two students (lead author Christopher J. Clark, a UC Berkeley graduate student in the Department of Integrative Biology), showed that the outer tail feathers vibrate like a reed in a clarinet. The hummingbird's split-second tail spread at dive speed produces a loud, brief burst that sounds like a chirp or beep.
Hummingbirds that are known to make such "tail-feather chirps" are the Anna's Hummingbirds (and its relatives), the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, the Black-chinned Hummingbirds, the Allen's Hummingbirds, the Costa's Hummingbirds, the Rufous Hummingbirds, the Woodstar Hummingbirds, and the Cuban Bee Hummingbirds (the smallest birds in the world). (Ref.: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129191358.htm)
Hummingbird Extreme Metabolism and Survival & Flight Adaptions - Amazing Facts
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