They'rrrrrrre Back!

My hummingbirds are back!

I thought it was all very apropos that today I write about my hummingbirds in honor of my Aunt Doris’ (Auntie) birthday tomorrow, June 3rd. As I have written before she loved hummingbirds, had feeders out for them on the front of her house where she would sit and watch them. She incited in me an interest in them. During her struggle last year when she had fallen ill, I nicknamed and called her “my little hummingbird.” As recalled in one of last year’s posts to my blog and in her eulogy, she went “home” the same day my hummingbirds came home to me.

LATE ARRIVAL.

My hummingbirds seemed to be a little later this year. I’m not quite sure why that is but I think they are mad at me. I tried a new nectar for them early this Spring. I call their nectar their “hummingbird cocktail.” It was in powder form and it seems to dissolve fast in the water – by that I mean after a few days in the feeder it goes from bright red to no color at all. And we all know that the first thing that draws a hummingbird to its feeder is the bright red color. I bet there is not even any sweetness to it. Me thinks I’ve been hoodwinked!

I’ve always been one to make sure that “all my little pets” like what they eat. I’m convinced it is truly because of me that they become as picky as they are. Take my kids, my husband, Pongo, my cats and Wolfie, for example. I have found what they like through trial and error and that is what they then get fed (as in the case of my “human pets” – they get their favorites more often than not).

Summarily, my hummingbirds are rebelling against me, too!! Heck, I also think even all my birds have done the same thing. I tried one type of bird feed and they didn’t seem to like it. I found another and they gobbled it all up and now I have a more diverse species of birds than I have ever had before.

Consequently, I picked up a concentrate liquid form of nectar, the same that I used last year. I’m hoping that at cocktail time, this is what hits the spot for them. I’m pretty fussy about my cocktails, too, so why shouldn’t they be!

I think they were showing their distaste in what I was feeding them by having a little riot. Bob was standing outside the front door close to the feeder the other day talking to me through the screen door. Two hummingbirds kept buzzing him, as if to say – “tell that old lady of your’s to get her butt out here and give us some good food!”

My interest has grown so in hummingbirds that I thought maybe I would share a few facts with you about them.

ALL THAT YOU EVER NEED TO KNOW OR DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW.

Dressed For the Occasion. Did you know, that hummingbirds are the tiniest birds in the world? And that they can flash their bright colors as well as hide them when needed? That the bright radiant color on hummingbirds comes from iridescent coloring like on a soap bubble or prism? That the name given to the bright flashing colored feathers of a hummingbird’s neck is a Gorget? An average-sized hummingbird will have about 940 feathers. (Is that considered outfits in a hummingbird's closet? Maybe I want a hummingbird's closet?)

You’re A Smart Little Birdy Aren’t You. A hummingbird’s brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird kingdom. They are very smart and can remember every flower they have been to and how long it will take a flower to refill? (Hmmmm...I wonder how we exactly know that? But this sounds like it might just pertain more to the female species than the male! Aren’t I right? I mean I can remember every nursery/flower shop I have been to, the prices at each, what they have in their inventory. I’m thinking it is the same thing!) Hummingbirds can hear better than humans? (A female thing, again, I think because sometimes my husband can’t repeat to me what I just said to him!) That hummingbirds can see farther than humans? (Well, no bifocals needed there!) That hummingbirds can see ultraviolet light? And they have no sense of smell? (That might be a good thing considering some of the places they go!)

Honey, We Are Now Going to Get Personal About Your Looks! A hummingbird will use its tongue to lap up nectar from flowers and feeders. It’s tongue is grooved like the shape of a “W”. (They must be Badger fans from “W”isconsin). They have tiny hairs on the tip of their tongue to help lap up nectar and it’s beak is generally shaped like any other bird beak, just that it is longer in proportion to its body. The edges of its top beak will overlap the edges of its bottom beak; (In humans, I think that is called an overbite!) and it’s bottom beak is slightly flexible. They do not drink through their beaks like a straw, but lap up with their tongues. (At least there is no slurping going on at the trough there!)

Every Breath You Take, Every Move You Make. Did you know the hummingbird’s heart beats up to 1,260 times per minute and about 250 times per minute at rest? (If I flew as fast and zipped around like they did, I think my heart would be beating like that, too!) And, speaking of its heart, it is 2.5% of the total body weight. It will take about 250 breaths per minute while at rest. (Can’t imagine that at the speed they dart around that they would have time to breath then either); but their metabolism is roughly 100 times that of an elephant. (Mine must be close to that of an elephant’s!)

Winging It. Hummingbirds have very weak feet and can barely walk, hence they prefer to fly; but they also like to perch and spend most of their life perching. (It must be that metabolism thing again because geez if I spent most of my life perching, I would be an elephant!) An average-sized hummingbird will have about 940 feathers.

Size Does Matter. Female hummingbirds are usually larger than male hummingbirds (You go girl!!). Its body temperature is 107 degrees Fahrenheit and on average they are 3.35 inches long from the tip of its beak to the tip of its tail. Hummingbirds weigh anywhere between 2 and 20 grams, e.g. a penny weighs 2.5 grams. (I think the hummingbirds that feed at my place must be on closer to the 20 grams size, as they are a little piggish when it comes to eating!!) Thirty percent of a hummingbird’s weight consists of flight muscles (e.g., a human’s pectoral muscles are about 5% of body weight).

It’s All About Her!! Female hummingbirds find iridescent feathers attractive. (Is that the same as checking out a guy's butt?) Hummingbirds do not mate for life. (hmmmm....) Female hummingbirds do all the nest building. (Oh, couldn’t I just go on about that one – stop me now!!!)

Him, Him, Him. Male hummingbirds do not help raise the young. (Enough said on that one!)

And Don't Forget the Babies . . . A hummingbird baby is about the size of a penny. Females will lay a clutch of two eggs. Baby hummingbirds cannot fly and will remain in the nest for three weeks. (All I can say from experience, it seems they “fly the nest” way too soon. I’d hate to be a hummingbird momma!) Most hummingbirds die in the first year of life, have an average life span of about 5 years, but can live for more than 10 years. The oldest known hummingbird was a Broad-Tailed Hummingbird that was captured and tagged 12 years apart.

I’m Leaving On A Jet Plane. A hummingbird can fly an average of 25-30 miles per hour, can dive up to 60 miles per hour and its wings will rotate in a full circle. Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds have been known to travel 500 miles over the Gulf of Mexico to breeding grounds; and it is estimated it takes about twenty (20) hours to fly across the Gulf of Mexico. Some hummingbirds will travel over two-thousand (2,000) miles twice a year during migration times. The Rufous Hummingbird travels the farthest north of any other hummingbird to migrate –all the way from Mexico to Alaska. (So much for flying South for the Winter!)

Good Night, Sleep Tight, It’s Time for Torpor. When hummingbirds sleep at night, they go into a hibernation-like state called torpor. They enter torpor to conserve energy. When they go into torpor, their metabolic rate is one-fifteenth (1/15) of normal sleep. Torpor can save up to 60% of a hummingbird's available energy and when in torpor, their heart rate can drop to as few as 50 beats per minute and can lower the body temperature to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. (In humans, this up and down body temperature thing is called menopause!) When hummingbirds go into torpor, they will appear as if they are dead and have occasionally been found to be hanging upside-down. (Human definition: a drunken stupor!) It can take up to an hour for a hummingbird to fully recover from torpor. (Not fair!! I’d rather have the hummingbird’s hangover than a human’s!) Torpor can be fatal to a weak hummingbird. (No different here!)

Belly Up To The Bar! Hummingbirds need to eat on average 7 times per hour for about 30-60 seconds and can eat anywhere from half (1/2) to eight (8) times its body weight a day. (Egads!! If that was me, that would be a lot of food!) They can double his/her weight before migration. (Yea, well, I’d be grounded for sure!) A hummingbird will visit an average of 1,000 flowers per day for nectar but also eat small soft bugs for protein. (Following the daily hummingbird food pyramid . . . I think we are missing some important parts here, though). A hummingbird will lap up nectar at a rate of about 13 licks per second. (Hmmm... I’ve seen some people eat that fast, too!) Hummingbirds will not get addicted to a hummingbird feeder filled with nectar and will leave when they need to. (Good thing – or we would have nectarholics flying the skyways! Or maybe those are the ones that buzz you so close to your head!)

When Digging Up A Little of Your Past, We Find . . . Hummingbirds are only found naturally in the Americas, can be found as far north as Alaska and as far south as Chile. They are the second largest family of birds in the Western Hemisphere with more than 300 types or species of hummingbirds. Most of the types or species of hummingbirds are found in South America. The country of Ecuador has the largest number of types or species of hummingbirds. While there are more than fifty (50) types or species of hummingbirds that breed in Mexico, there are more than fifteen (15) types or species that breed in the United States and more than three (3) types or species that breed in Canada.

Who, Who, Are You? Hummingbirds are all part of the Trochilidae family of birds; Trochilidae is from the Greek trochilos, meaning small bird. (Oh, there was a rocket scientist there somewhere!) There are two sub-families of hummingbirds: (1) Typical hummingbirds, and (2) Hermit hummingbirds. Typical hummingbirds are found more in North America while Hermit hummingbirds occur from southern Mexico, through Central America, to South America as far south as northern Argentina. Most hummingbird types or species do not migrate. The smallest hummingbird is the Bee Hummingbird and the largest is the Giant Hummingbird. White hummingbirds (or albino hummingbirds) are not a separate hummingbird type or species. They are regular hummingbirds that never developed color in their plumage. (Someone should introduce them to some bronzer!)

I Know Where You Live! The typical hummingbird nest is tiny, about the size of half an English walnut shell. The outer part is covered with moss and plant fibers. Sometimes it is shingled with lichens. The rest is made of plant down and spider webs. They do not re-use the same nest, but often build again at the same location, occasionally right on top of the old nest. (I think that is for resale purposes – they always say you should remodel every 10 years!)

The Way You Do The Things You Do. Hummingbirds don't really sing, they chirp. (Don’t know if I have ever heard them chirp; it is usually just a buzz). Their favorite color is red (Duh!!) and like tubular type flowers the most. Hummingbirds pollinate flowers by rubbing their forehead and face in each flower as they get the nectar. (Necking, anyone? Oh, wait, wouldn’t this be more like Eskimo kissing?) Many plants depend on hummingbirds for pollination. (It’s an onerous task, but, hey, someone has to do it!) They get their name from the humming sound produced by their wings when flying. And the last, but not least known fact, Early Spanish explorers called hummingbirds flying jewels.

Flying jewels – now, isn’t that apropos!! Yes, Auntie if you could see my hummingbirds now. I think that they have migrated south from your place to mine to take up a new residence. No one is feeding them at the old homestead, and as I have pointed out, they sure do love to chow down. I hope that I am giving them an adequate amount of nectar and plants for them to frolic in. I’m trying to put in plants that are loved by both hummingbirds and butterflies in a lot of my new gardens.

Besides adding beauty to the landscape, if nothing else, these little flying jewels can bring just a little more of you back to me.