We were delighted to see a hummingbird going back and forth to this feeder. Gregg had the camera with the longer lens and was not as close as he would have liked, but close enough to get these quick shots. I was super happy that he did and so was he.
This is an adult male Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), easily recognizable by its brilliant red throat patch, also known as a gorget.
They flap their wings roughly 53 times per second during regular flight.
They are incredibly lightweight, weighing only 3 grams - roughly the same as a penny.
They can fly forward, backward, upside down and hover in place by moving their wings in a figure-eight pattern.
They fly up to 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico to winter in Central America.
A Ruby-throat's heart beats over 1,200 times per minute when active.
To survive cold nights without starving, they can enter a deep hibernation-like sleep state called torpor, drastically slowing their heart rate and metabolism.
Their legs are so underdeveloped that they cannot walk or hop; they can only shuffle sideways along a perch.
Females build tiny nests out of plant down and lichen, bound together using stretchy spider silk so the nest can expand as the chicks grow.
Males are entirely solitary, they do not help build nests or raise the chicks, and they aggressively defend food sources from other birds.
Have a great day
and thanks for stopping by.
He got amazing photos!! And they are close enough, too!
ReplyDeleteThat is such a cute bird; I love it too. Gregg took great photos of it, and thanks for the explanation, Denise!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day, hugs, Elke
Fascinating bird, and nice photos too. We don't have native hummingbirds in Australia but I think I might have mentioned that before.
ReplyDelete