THE HUMMINGBIRD...............................

DID YOU KNOW HUMMINGBIRDS CAN FLY BACKWARDS?

HUMMINGBIRDS ARE BIRDS COMPRISING THE FAMILY TORCHILIDAE. THEY ARE AMONG THE SMALLEST OF BIRDS, AND INCLUDE THE SMALLEST EXTANT BIRD SPECIES, THE BEE HUMMINGBIRD CAN HOVER IN MID-AIR BY RAPIDLY FLAPPING THEIR WINGS 12-90 TIMES PER SECOND (DEPENDING ON SPECIES). THEY CAN ALSO FLY BACKWARDS, AND ARE THE ONLY GROUP OF BIRDS ABLE TO DO SO. THEIR ENGLISH NAME DERIVES FROM THE CHARACTERISTIC "HUM" MADE BY THEIR RAPID WING BEATS. THEY CAN FLY AT VERY HIGH SPEED.

HUMMINGBIRDS DRINK NECTAR, A SWEET LIQUID INSIDE A FLOWER. LIKE BEES, THEY ARE ABLE TO ASSESS THE AMOUNT OF SUGAR IN THE NECTAR THEY EAT, THEY REJECT FLOWER TYPES THAT PRODUCE NECTAR WHICH IS LESS THAN 10% SUGAR AND PREFER THOSE WHOSE SUGAR CONTENT IS STRONGER. NECTAR IS A POOR SOURCE OF NUTRIENTS, SO HUMMINGBIRDS MEET THEIR NEEDS FOR PROTEIN, AMINO ACIDS, VITAMINS, MINERALS, AND MORE, BY PREYING ON INSECTS AND SPIDERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN FEEDING THEIR YOUNG.

HUMMINGBIRDS DO NOT SPEND ALL DAY FLYING, AS THE ENERGY-COST WOULD BE PROHIBITIVE. THE MAJORITY OF THEIR ACTIVITY CONSISTS SIMPLY OF SITTING OR PERCHING. THEY SPEND AN AVERAGE OF 10-15% OF THEIR TIME FEEDING AND 75-80% SITTING AND DIGESTING.

THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES, AVERAGES A LIFESPAN OF 3 TO 5 YEARS. RECORDS SHOW THERE WAS A FEMALE WHO WAS BANED (RINGED) SHE WAS RECAPTURED 11 YEARS LATER.

FEMALE HUMMINGBIRDS USUALLY LAY 2 WHITE EGGS, NO BIGGER THAN A JELLYBEAN. INCUBATION TIME IS 16 TO 18 DAYS, OR UP TO 3 WEEKS WITH COOLER WEATHER. WHEN THE BABIES HATCH THEY

HAVE NO FEATHERS, DARK SKIN AND THEIR EYES ARE CLOSED. THEY HAVE A SHORT STUBBY YELLOW BEAK. THEY WEIGH .62 GRAMS. THE BABIES WILL BE READY TO LEAVE THE NEST IN ABOUT THREE WEEKS. DO NOT USE RED DYE IN THEIR FOOD, IT IS NOT GOOD FOR THEM. YOU CAN GET A RED BIRD FEEDER, OR TIE A RED RIBBON ON THE FEEDER, OR PUT RED SILK FLOWERS AROUND THE FEEDER. IT WILL WORK JUST FINE.