5 Important Facts About Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are an interesting species by every metric. Their calls sound lovely, the species come in various bright colors and they have something about their overall appearance that makes them enchanting. You might have come across a species or two or even four of hummingbirds in summer. They’re also noisy in general, with their wings making a buzzing sound that will tip you off when a hummingbird is near. Read more for Important Facts About Hummingbirds.

However, these are all regular facts that most people tend to know about hummingbirds. How about learning some Important Facts About Hummingbirds most people have no idea about? Some, that even avid birders might miss?

Hummingbirds Walking

Is something that can’t be done. Hummingbirds aren’t capable of hopping or walking. Basically, their feet don’t help them carry on through the ground. Yet, when they are perched, they can scoot to the side using their feet.

The reason for their small feet is that evolution has made them more efficient for flying and part of it is having lighter feet. They’re capable of preening and itching with their feet, however.

Feather Count

Among all the bird species in the world, Hummingbirds are the ones with the least feathers. Their feather count ranges between 1000 to 1500. They are a tiny species so they don’t have much use of feathers in the first place. Add to that hummingbird’s facts is that the lack of feathers makes their flight smoother.

Diet

In an hour, an average hummingbird is likely to eat at least eight times. On a daily basis, a hummingbird should get a sugar intake that measures about half of their body weight. Their diet mainly consists of nectar but they are not strictly limited to it. They seem to show a little love towards spiders and small insects as well. Some might even take a sip of tree sap or in the case of some, the juice that comes out of a fruit that they find lying broken on the ground.

Aggressiveness

Hummingbirds might be small but they are one of the most aggressive bird species in existence. They are super possessive about their territory and don’t take kindly to other birds roaming around it. Whether it’s a hawk or a crow that infringed upon their territory, they will put up a good fight. Their quickness also lets them win a lot of these fights.

If hummingbirds are nesting in your backyard and you are feeding them, you will discover that they have a leader hummingbird that will guard the feeder. Any intruder is promptly chased away.

Species Count

Right now, we can account for about 325 species of hummingbirds, if we count all the hummingbird species spotted in the world. Adding on to these hummingbird facts is that Central and South America sees a lot of them. The Caribbean is also quite used to these species.

In the United States, the regular breeding hummingbirds species is eight at most. However, the country does get visits from hummingbirds all over the world, a count which is thought to be about 24 for now.

Final Thoughts

It’s always fun to learn new things, especially if it’s about small, adorable-looking bird species that are quite aggressive, unlike their appearance. As a birder, you might be already aware of these facts. Or you could be a new birder who needs a push in the right direction to get more serious about birding and maybe these small tidbits about hummingbirds were all you need to get started on the birding journey. Whatever it is, we hope these hummingbirds facts would be useful to you.

Ornithology

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