“WT "WTummingbirds fascinate people and

r-m have for centuries. Today, people hang

M. JL hummingbird feeders in their gardens and
plant flowers that attract hummingbirds. Scientists
and volunteers count hummingbirds. They put
identification bands on their legs to determine their
population sizes, they weigh and measure them,
and they record all the information they discover.
Although scientists seem more interested in
statistics, the awe that drives them to study these
tiny birds is no different than that of a 16th-century
Spaniard who wrote of birds “no bigger than the end
of a man’s thumb...of such swiftness that you cannot
see the movement of their wings.” He went on to talk
of “its bill as delicate as a fine needle,” and confessed,
“They are so hardy yet so little I would not dare tell of
it if others had not seen them also....”
Hummingbirds are the world’s smallest birds.
They are the undisputed champions of the sky,
with their skillful and daring flight. They can out-
maneuver and out-fly other birds a hundred times
their size. Their colorful feathers have led people
to name them for rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and
other precious gems. These fearless little birds are
belligerent rather than bashful. They fly over our
heads, hover before our eyes, and pluck fuzz from
our sweaters to build their nests.
The smallest hummingbird of all is the bee
hummingbird, from Cuba. It is about two inches
long, but half of that is beak and tail! The largest
hummingbird is the giant hummingbird. It lives in
South America and can be more than eight inches
long. Big or small, we think you will agree that
hummingbirds are fascinating and delightful
creatures that you can only dare to tell of, because
others have seen them too.

Broad-billed hummingbird
 r he tiny body of a hummingbird can
perform amazing feats. It is the only bird
that flies backward, forward, and even
upside down! When it’s not dipping and diving in its
own natural air show, this flying ace even hovers
like a helicopter. The hummingbird can only do this
because its skeletal structure, muscles, and
wings are specialized for this kind of flight.
Hummingbirds even “dress” like performers \
on a stage. Their iridescent feathers flash in jJH
the sunlight like jewelled costumes.
Specializations of the tiny bird’s long bill and ;;
Most of a hummingbird’s 1
tongue give it the ability to drink nectar from I glisten with color when they catch
deep-throated flowers. The hummingbird is the light. The feathers are about five
times as dense as those of other
truly unique among birds.
birds and are closely overlapped.
This increases the color intensity.
The colorful throat patch on many
hummingbirds is called a gorget.

A hummingbird can turn its wings in any

S
direction. This is because the bones in its wings
are different from those of other birds
. Other birds have long “arm” bones,
with flexible joints at the wrists
and forearms. Hummingbirds
lack that flexibility.
A hummingbird’s
wing is practically
all “hand.”

To perform its acrobatic flight, the hummingbird requires a

unusual skeletal structure. Its breastbone ©is by far the
largest bone in its body and supports the powerful flight
muscles. Other flying birds have much smaller breastbones.
 Sometimes a hummingbird
SEE FOR YOURSELF how a feather can
seems like a tiny magician.
change colors. Blow some bubbles and
As the bird darts through
watch their colors change as they float
the air, the color changes
through the air. Imagine a million tiny
while you watch! What
bubbles stacked together, and you will
at first seemed like a
begin to understand the “magic” of a
red gorget may
hummingbird’s changing colors.
change to blue
and then to black.

If you were to magnify a hummingbird feather, you

would see that parts of it are covered with thousands
of tiny “bubbles.” The bubbles have various shapes
and thicknesses, so light bounces off them at different
angles. When light bounces at different angles, it
appears as different colors.

Of all the birds in the world, hummingbirds are the best

Almost a third of a humming¬ fliers. One of the things that makes them great fliers is the
bird’s weight is in its chest muscles. size of their chest muscles.
These are the bird’s largest muscles,
and they power its magnificent flight.

All birds have two

chest muscles, one to
raise the wings, and
one to lower them.
A hummingbird’s tongue is ^
When the first muscle
about the same length as its bill.; j
contracts (S), it pulls
It only seems longer because a y;
the wings up.
hummingbird can extendi
^^^its tongue well beyond the
tip of its bill.
When the other
muscle contracts
The front half of the
tongue is split and has (B), it pulls the
wings down.
fringed edges. The fringed
area helps the hummingbird
capture insects and soak up
nectar during rapid licking.
OTHER BIRDS

SEE FOR YOURSELF how a

hummingbird tongue might
soak up liquid. Roll up a
piece of paper towel and put
one end in a bowl of water.
As the liquid is absorbed, it
Most birds have small muscles for raising their wings. All
rises through the towel. The
their power comes from the downbeat. But hummingbirds
hummingbird’s fringed
have big muscles for raising and lowering their wings.
tongue can transport nectar
They are the only birds that get flying power from both
in this way. This is called
wingbeats. That is why they are such superb fliers.
capillary action.
T he variety of hummingbirds seems endless. With
more than 300 species, these tiny creatures make up one
of the biggest families of birds in the world. The first
MARVELOUS SPATULETAIL

hummingbirds lived in South America. From there, they spread to

almost every corner of North America, Central America and the
Caribbean, and South America. They are at home in tropical rain
forests, deserts, mountains, and plains. Some species live as far
north as Alaska, others as far south as the tip of South America.
In the Americas, you can find hummingbirds almost anywhere
that flowers bloom. Most hummingbirds have 10
Flowers and their nectar are partly responsible for the wide tail feathers. Although this bird
lacks the usual number, the
variety among hummingbirds. In adapting to their environments,
tail feathers he has are quite
hummingbirds have developed a variety of bill shapes and sizes in splendid! Hummingbirds with
order to “fit” the flower shapes in different parts of the world. spectacular tail feathers often
vibrate them during aerial
Hummingbirds also come in a wide range of colors, with a displays, in an attempt to
spectacular variety of tails, and assorted unusual head feathers. dazzle a female.

SPECIAL BILLS

SWORD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD
Different sizes and shapes of
bills allow hummingbirds to eat
from different flowers. Their
bills range in length from four-
inch “swords,” like the one at
left, to half-inch “pins,” like the
one below.
BEARDED HELMETCREST

RED-TAILED COMET

Some bills are made for specific flowers. The sicklebill (above)
is the only hummingbird that feeds on the hook-shaped
Heliconia blossom. The long-tailed hermit (right) is one of the
few hummingbirds able to get
nectar from the deep throat of a
scarlet passionflower. Although
other hummingbirds may have
long enough bills, they live at
higher elevations in the rain forest The tail on this
and don’t descend to the deeply hummingbird is like a
shaded areas near the ground. neon sign. Depending
But this is where the scarlet on the way light hits it,
passionflower blooms and where it may flash red, gold,
the long-tailed hermit lives. black, or purple.
* SAPPHIRE-VENTED PUFFLEG

FANCY TAILS

Just as there is a wide variety of hummingbird bills,

there is also a wide variety of hummingbird tails. Some
of them are long and racket-shaped, others trail behind
the tiny birds like streamers, but most of them are
either rounded, forked, scissor-shaped, or pointed.

Birds that live in cold places may get cold feet.

So this hummingbird, which lives in the Andes
Mountains of South America, has extra feathers
around its legs to keep them warm.

FRILLED COQUETTE

Colorful crests adorn

the heads of many
hummingbirds. Some
of the smaller ones,
like this coquette,
raise their crests to
make themselves look
bigger and more
aggressive than they
really are.

COLORFUL CRESTS
This tail not only looks beautiful, it sounds
beautiful too! As the bird flies, its long
streamers vibrate, creating a humming
sound. The male streamertail uses the sight
and sound of its tail to attract females.

The crests worn by some hummingbirds look

like crowns of jewels. For years, people trapped
these birds and used their feathers to decorate
coats and hats. Trapping became so popular
WESTERN STREAMERTAIL that some species almost became extinct.
Fortunately, most people no longer wear
hummingbird feathers.
 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD

ummingbirds are big eaters. In fact,

they spend most of their waking hours
eating. To satisfy its needs, a single
hummingbird might need to visit more than a
thousand fuchsia blossoms a day! Some
hummingbirds eat more than half their weight in
food each day and drink eight times their weight
in water. And they don’t confine their food to
nectar. They get quick energy from the sugar in
nectar, but they get protein from a diet rich in
insects. Hummingbirds nab insects from the air,
and they scoop them up with nectar from the
bottom of tubular flowers.
Being so little, hummingbirds can lose body
heat rapidly. They can’t fly and eat 24 hours a day
to maintain energy and body temperature, so they
often slow their metabolism at night. When they
do this, they are in a state of torpor, or suspended
animation. They don’t always go into torpor.
Sometimes they just sleep at night. But torpor
doesn’t require as much energy to maintain body
temperatures as sleeping does.

Flowers and hummingbirds

are good for each other.
While hummingbirds are
I Hummingbirds have adapted to many
busy getting nectar, they
I different kinds of flowers. In desert
carry pollen from one
I areas they take nectar from cactus
flowers (below). In more tropical flower to the next.
climates they visit flowers like the This helps the flowers
bird of paradise (right). to reproduce.

I Some hummingbird oills and the

I flowers they frequent seem made
1 for each other. The wild petunia
holds its nectar deep inside its
long tube. It’s easy for long-billed
hummingbirds to reach, but
difficult for bees and moths.

The drooping blossoms of the fuchsia have

“landing stations” that would give bees and
moths access to nectar. Hummingbirds can
sip the nectar while they hover in the air.
If you live where there are hummingbirds and you
have fuchsias, honeysuckle, hibiscus, or other
nectar producers, you probably have hummingbirds
in your yard. If you don’t, you can attract
hummingbirds to a feeder. A watering jar, available
from any pet store, makes a fine feeder. Put some
red tape on it to attract the birds and fill the jar with
one part sugar and four parts water. Change the
solution every few days. Never use honey instead of
sugar. Honey can cause fungal infections that
damage the hummingbird’s very special tongue.
/ n flight, no other bird comes close
to a hummingbird. It dives and
darts, hovers, flies forward and
backward, and even sideways and upside
down. When it hovers, its wings rotate in
a figure-eight pattern. But you can’t see
this because the wings move so fast it’s
just a blur.
Male and female hummingbirds often
perform grand “courtship flights.” The
patterns of these flights vary from one
species to another. Can you follow the
courtship flight of the broad-tailed
hummingbirds shown here?

A hummingbird can fly circles around any

other bird, so it has no fear of predators.
To pfotect their nests, these feisty little L
birds will even attack eagles! k

To take off,
hummingbirds d
have to push with their
feet the way other
birds do. They just
flap their wings and
off they go. They
can reach full speed
almost immediately.
 Hummingbirds fly like little helicopters.
They can hover, move from side to side,
go straight up, straight down, and even
backwards. They do all this by rotating
The male broad-tailed hummingbird begins
each wing in a circle, which is similar
his courtship flight by making a giant “U” in
to the way a helicopter flies.
the sky (A). On his way, he pauses occasionally
©to see if the female is watching him from When a hummingbird pushes
her perch. At the peak of his flight©, he air one way, it drives the bird
stops again, then dives toward the female®. the other way. For example,
From a full-speed dive, he can stop instantly, when a hummingbird rises
right in front of her. Then she may join him in straight into the air, its wings
a wild game of chase©. are moving in a flat circle.
This pushes the air down,
and forces the bird up.

To fly forward, the

hummingbird just tilts
its wings until they push
the air backward.

BLACK-CHINNED
HUMMINGBIRD

wing behind its back.

This pushes the air
forward, which allows
the hummingbird to
fly backward.

The bird pictured at left is hovering in midair. Its

wing is turned upside down because it is moving
in a figure-eight pattern.

FEMALE

A hummingbird wing has 10 primary

feathers, which are extremely long and
narrow. When the wings flap, these feathers
vibrate. That’s what makes the humming
sound that gives hummingbirds their name.
11
 "W" "W"ummingbirds are almost always on the go and
ever alert. For its size, a hummingbird uses more
M. energy in a day than any other warm-blooded animal.
But life is not all work and no play. Hummingbirds like to bathe
and play in the water. Shallow pools in the depression of a rock
or the crotch of a tree make ideal bathtubs, and a waterfall or
rainfall provides a good shower.
Sometimes it seems that these little birds have big chips on
their shoulders. Although they are bold and unafraid, always
defending their territory from other hummingbirds, they must
watch out for animals that are dangerous to them.

BRAZILIAN RUBY

Hummingbirds eat a lot of

spiders, but in South
America some spiders try
to eat hummingbirds! These
During mating season, a male hummingbird bird-eating tarantulas can get
will try almost anything to get a female’s as big as some humming¬
attention. He may hover right in front of her birds. If a spider can sneak
for several minutes. Or he might land right up on an unwary humming¬
beside her, waving his beak and showing off bird on its nest, the spider
his colorful feathers ®. might be successful. But
hummingbirds are usually
alert and will dart away if
a giant spider approaches.

The male’s boldness is not

always rewarded. If the female
doesn’t want anything to do
with him, she just flies away®.

If she is interested, the female

watches the male’s rapid movements
more closely. Sometimes the two
birds appear to be having a sword
fight with their bills ©.

Even if the male wins a female’s affection (B), they

won’t stay together long. These two are huddled
together to stay warm while they sleep. When they
awaken, they will fly away in separate directions
and probably never meet again.

12
Hummingbirds often take several baths in a day.
Many of these baths are playtime for the birds.
On cool nights, a hummingbird must go into a
Hummingbirds even find their own water slides!
deep sleep, or torpor. It pulls its head close to
They sometimes slide down wet rocks or leaves
its body and fluffs its feathers for added
and then go back to slide again.
warmth. Then its heartbeat slows and its body
temperature drops. By slowing its body
processes until it seems lifeless, the
hummingbird conserves energy. This is the only
way such a small bird can survive a cold night.

This brown Inca is taking a

shower instead of a bath.
Hummingbirds often do this
by hovering in the rain.

Large spiders are not the only threat to

hummingbirds. Small hummingbirds
are also hunted by an insect called the
praying mantis. Occasionally one of these
big insects snares a hummingbird with
its sharp forelegs. But the hummingbird’s
most dangerous predator is probably a
small falcon called the American kestrel.
This tiny bird of prey swoops from the
sky at great speeds to catch insects,
mice, small reptiles, and small birds.

13
 M other hummingbirds work hard. They
have to, because they usually get no help
Hummingbirds use the
sticky silk from spider
webs to hold their nests
from the males. Females build their own together. Each bird
delicate and beautiful nests, sit on their eggs, and searches for hours to
find just the right grass,
take care of their chicks all by themselves. leaves, flower petals,
The nests are about the size of half a walnut shell moss, lichens, and other
material to build its nest.
and are decorated to blend in with their
Then it glues them all
surroundings. Dainty as they are, these little shelters together with spider silk.
usually survive the destructive forces of wind, rain,
and growing youngsters.
The chicks begin life smaller than a bumblebee.
Fortunately for the mother hummingbird, the chicks PLANALTO HERMIT
grow fast. In just a few weeks they leave the nest.
One of the most
remarkable nests is
built by the planalto
hermit. Its nest hangs
from a branch by a
Many humming¬ single strand of leaves
bird nests are and grass. To keep the
masterpieces of nest balanced, the
design and hermit attaches a long
construction. This column of pebbles on
glittering emerald one side. Can you find
suspends her nest the column of pebbles
from vines, so the in this picture?
nest becomes a
hanging basket!

GLITTERING EMERALD RUFOUS-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD

Hummingbirds
seldom lay more than
two eggs. The tiny
nest gets crowded
enough with just two
chicks, as you can
see. The mother of
these chicks will have
a hard time feeding
her brood when the
third egg hatches.

14
ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRDS
Even after the young have left
the nest, the mother continues
to feed and care for them for a
while. Some hummingbirds
have been known to feed their
young for as long as 40 to 65
days after hatching.

Hummingbird chicks are born naked and blind. The mother

carries food in her crop (lower throat) and feeds the chicks by
poking her bill down their throats and releasing the food into
their crops. By the time the chicks are three or four days old,
their eyes and their bills are open—watching and waiting for food.

The mother
hummingbird
incubates her
eggs for two weeks
or more. After the
chicks have
hatched she
continues
to sit on
the nest,
covering the
chicks with her
wings to keep
them warm.
Despite all her
attention to eggs
and nestlings, the
female humming¬
bird must leave
the nest frequently
to feed herself as
well as the chicks.
Between three and four weeks of age, the young hummingbird is
ready to leave its nest for good. It masters flying quickly and easily,
but finding food is another matter. It’s no wonder the mother
continues to feed her young for a while, because the youngsters
spend a lot of time poking their bills into hats, road signs, and
other colorful objects besides flowers!

15
T he future of all hummingbirds can be
bright, with just a little help from people.
As long as they have plenty of flowers for
food and trees in which to build their nests, some
hummingbirds will get along just fine. Many species,
like the magnificent hummingbird at right, nest in
a variety of trees and take nectar from many different
kinds of flowers. They find food almost anywhere,
including yards, gardens, and parks. Because they
have no fear of people, they have no problem living
in cities.
Unfortunately, not all hummingbirds are so lucky.
In some tropical areas, the human population grows
too fast for local wildlife. The native trees and flowers
are destroyed faster than they can be replaced. Even
though new trees and flowers are planted, a few
species of hummingbirds are still considered
endangered. They can’t find enough places to build
their nests, and they can’t wait for new trees to grow.
If a hummingbird’s special food flower has been
destroyed, it can’t easily adjust to a new flower.
Most people do not mean to harm hummingbirds.
They just don’t know what damage they cause. Once
a person has discovered a hummingbird in the yard,
fed it and befriended it, he or she will find the world
a richer place to preserve—for hummingbirds and
other creatures of the rain forest.

If you would like to learn more about

hummingbirds, look for hummingbird books at
your local library. For further information, you
can also write to:

The National Audubon Society

700 Broadway
New York, NY 10003-9501
Magnificent hummingbird
 Coming next month...
Birds of Prey

Published by Wildlife Education, Ltd.®

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A Broad-billed Hummingbird
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ISBN 0-937934-31-3