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They are known as the ‘flower kissers’ of the skies but you may know them as the hummingbird, a name derived from the humming sound its wings makes as it glides through the sky. Either way, this is yet another example of the awesome design of living things. Why not take a closer look at this aerial acrobat – the hummingbird?
You don’t have to observe the hummingbird for very long to appreciate that he is wonderful flyer – dive bombing one moment and soaring up into an exquisite aerial performance the next. What makes him so adept at flying? An outstanding feature of the bird is it’s wing muscles, which comprise an amazing 25 to 30 percent of the whole body weight. Rather than swinging up and down like other birds, the hummingbird’s wings work off of a unique pivot which allow them to move backward and forward, like an oar moving through the water. This allows the hummingbird to do some incredible things – it can hover with it’s body motionless in the air for an extended period of time, it can rise vertically and instantaneously. And it is the only bird that can actually fly in reverse.
The speed of the hummingbird’s wings is another marvel. The fastest hummers may reach 90 or more strokes per second. When courting the male bird puts on a dazzling aerial exhibition. The hummingbird is also a fast mover, being clocked at 71 miles per hour. Migratory species can also cover tremendous distances. The ruby throated hummingbird, for example, will travel some 2,000 miles to it’s winter quarters. North American Ruby Throated birds take a trip across the Gulf of Mexico during this hiatus, and they make this 500 mile trek in one non-stop flight. They have the ability to store fuel fat up to half their normal weight before this marathon journey.
Hummingbirds have an incredible energy output and their food of choice is in the form of sugars. In fact, they consume half their weight in sugar every day. To achieve this, they can be seen flitting around from one flower to the next – feeding every 10 to 15 minutes. Insects and small spiders provide the bird with protein.
There are 319 varieties of hummingbird and they all live on the American continents. The smallest is the bee hummingbird of Cuba, which is only 2 inches in length and the largest is the Patagona Gigas of North America, which reaches 5 or 6 inches in length. Hummingbirds are fearless and inquisitive creatures. They will often feed from a human hand. They will also defend their territory against any other bird. Despite all of these admirable qualities however, the hummingbird is deficient in the musical department. It does not have a singing voice.
The hummingbird is a unique and marvellous creature – an intricately engineered little bundle of energy. Next time you see one fluttering by, stop to enjoy the aerial acrobatics of this master showman.
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