Hummingbird Facts - Stuff That I Didn't Know UPDATED

[lesa]

Few things make me happier than the arrival of those tiny birds! They are truly amazing creatures... I am with you thistle, there seems to be plenty of other places for them to nest- but I am sure am happy a couple of them choose my yard!

 

[Smart Red]

Did you get to see it, Smart Red? That is very exciting. I'm glad they were able to catch it and protect it.

No, I heard about it and then read about the bird's adventure later. I don't like crowds and supposedly the yards near the hummingbird (at its feeder) were full of people. Besides, I was working back then. Nope, I opened my bird book to see which hummer they were talking about.

Love, Smart Red

 

[Smart Red]

I had no idea hummers ate bugs!

Actually, almost all birds raise their young on "meat". The fruits, berries, and nectar that make up so much of what we think of as an adult bird's diet isn't easy to come by when those eggs are hatching.

Love, Smart Red

 

[OldGuy43]

Another interesting fact:

Hummingbirds are endotherms that, in order to conserve energy, may go into torpor at night and allow their body temperature to drop. They are then poikilothermic endotherms although during the day they are homeothermic. In other words, while considered to be warm blooded they do not maintain a constant body temperature.

 

[catjac1975]

very cool info-I always wondered about nightfall with them-I knew they had to eat a lot to maintain their high metabolism.

Another interesting fact:

Hummingbirds are endotherms that, in order to conserve energy, may go into torpor at night and allow their body temperature to drop. They are then poikilothermic endotherms although during the day they are homeothermic. In other words, while considered to be warm blooded they do not maintain a constant body temperature.

 

[OldGuy43]

very cool info-I always wondered about nightfall with them-I knew they had to eat a lot to maintain their high metabolism.

Yet another study says (there is some disagreement on this point) that even though we see them as kinda hyper, they actually spend about 75% of their time perching. They do so while digesting the nectar and than rush off to find insects. One author likens it to not filling your gas tank when it's still 3/4 full.

Interestingly, their feet are very weak. They can barely walk.

Wow! Does knowing all this make me an amateur ornithologist?

 

[desertlady]

in arizona in my desert area I have plain looking hummingbirds , black and tans, some of them -I think they are males, have red throats. I wish we have some very colorful humming birds here! When I was in Colorado, they were so colorful and beautiful ! Blues, yellows , greens etc. They are fun to watch !

 

[Smiles Jr.]

I had no idea hummers ate bugs! We had a huge number of them just before summer ended - I've never seen so many hummers at one time.

Me neither. We had lots of 'em this year too.

 

[OldGuy43]

Just learned one more thing; Hummingbirds are specifically protected here in the U.S. under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Therefore, it is illegal to capture, cage, harm or otherwise molest hummingbirds, although why anyone would want to do so is beyond me.

 

[skeeter9]

Interesting stuff, OldGuy! Thanks for posting. We love the little buggers here, too, and have a bunch of feeders along the eve outside the kitched window so we can enjoy their antics.

You know, now that I think about it, I read somewhere that our hummers here don't migrate. I wonder if that's true? I will have to check it out further.