All About Hummingbirds - By: Sherry Tingley

Hummingbirds may be nesting in your backyard or you may have neighbors that have regular visits by these tiny birds. They are fun to watch and to learn about.

Hummingbirds are birds that come from the family of Trochillidae. They are considered to be one of the smallest species of birds in the world. They flap their wings so fast you can barely tell they are moving. A unique characteristic is their ability to fly backwards, and apparently they are the only birds that can do so.

Hummingbirds are called nectarivores which mean they feed on the sweet liquid, also known as nectar, from flowers. Their similarity between bees is their ability to measure the amount of sugar contained in the nectar that they feed upon. Flowers with sweeter nectar, or with higher sugar amount, are more preferable to these birds. But nectar cannot provide the proper amount of nutrients so hummingbirds also feed on spiders and insects to acquire protein and other vitamins and minerals.

The hummingbird has a straight, long bill that is essential for gathering food. But for some species, they have shorter bills for extracting nectar from flowers which have short corollas while others have curved bills for feeding off curved corollas. Unlike most birds, they drink using their uneven and ridged tongues. Hummingbirds eat small amounts of food throughout the day; they survive with many small meals a day. In terms of flying, they don't do it very often as it consumes too much energy.

Hummingbirds are known to have a high metabolism, which is greatly needed to aid their fast-flapping wing. They spend the day perching and resting on trees to conserve their energy overnight.

Surprisingly, though they have a fast metabolism, hummingbirds have a relatively long life span. In the very delicate period of hatching and fledgling, many of these birds die and don't survive. But those who stay alive continue to exist for up to ten years or more. The average lifespan though is three to five years among those in North America. The longest lifespan that was ever recorded was twelve years, which was acquired by a female broad-tailed hummingbird.

Most hummingbirds are known to be natives to the Americas. A majority of these birds are found in South and Central America where it is known to have tropical weather, though other species are able to breed in areas with a moderate climate. Black-chinned hummingbirds are the most commonly found of their own species in the west of the United States, but there have been sights of the Ruby-throated hummingbirds near the Mississippi River where this species migrate from time to time. Meanwhile, the Rufous hummingbirds is more commonly known and seen throughout western Canada.

A number of events have been prepared for the celebration of hummingbirds. These include the Hummingbird Festival and the Hummingbird Migration Celebration. The festival itself includes a car show, rides for children, food vendors, sellers of arts and crafts, live music and many more fun activities. The other events are comprised of field trips, hummingbird seminars, garden tours, lectures and other demonstrations that will most definitely catch the attention of bird lovers and non-enthusiasts as well.

Copyright (c) 2009 Sherry Tingley

About the Author

Watch fun videos of hummingbirds raising their young ones and flying. Hummingbird checks will remind you of these cute little birds. They can be easily and safely ordered online.

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