Mike Blevins
Over 350 species of hummingbirds have been documented in the New World, their only home address on the planet. They are dispersed across various ecosystems from Alaska to the islands off South America. Seventeen nest in the United States. Yet in the Blue Ridge we see but one – the ruby-throated hummingbird. From April through October this bejeweled bird visits our area for nesting before returning to the southern tip of Florida, Mexico, Central America, and Caribbean islands for the winter months.
Hummingbirds are the tiniest avians in the world and lay the smallest eggs (pea-sized). These masters of flight also win the prize for agility. They are the only vertebrates able to fly backward, hover in place, and even fly upside down! Their wings create power in both up and down movements; beating between 70 and 200 times per second.
With a heart rate of 1200 beats-per-minute, they’ve been clocked at speeds of 45 mph during courtship displays. Males will challenge each other over territory and resources. This usually means chasing, buzzing, and chirping with their tail feathers flared. Despite the apparent intensity, these “battles” rarely result in injury to either party.
Females build the nests and raise the young – usually a clutch of two eggs. The babies will stay in the nest for three weeks, and cannot fly during this time. Once they fledge as fully formed adults, the female shows them all the best food sources for the first few days. Then, she chases them away so they can survive by themselves.
Bird Bits
Fun Facts: Hummingbirds can see and hear better than humans; have a body temp of 107°F; 30% of their weight is flight muscles; and, they can live up to 10 years.
Prior to migration, they double their body weight, visiting an average of 1,000 flowers per day. Our ruby-throats are known to fly 18-20 hours straight to cross 500 miles of open water in the Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat: Open woodlands, flowering gardens, suburbs.
Conservation Note: Some regions have seen a decline in numbers thought to be attributable to climate change affecting bloom times. To assist, consider adding a feeder along with native plants to your backyard. For the latter, flora with tubular blooms are a favorite: bee balm, cardinal flower, coral honeysuckle, trumpet creeper, wild columbine, and others. To provide for their high metabolism needs, offer a 1:4 table sugar to water ratio in a red feeder. No dye or food coloring is necessary (and is NOT recommended) in the food. Keep the mixture clear; changing often as cloudy liquid could be fermented and toxic. Multiple smaller feeders, rather than one large one, helps with this issue and might even reduce competition.
ABOUT THIS SERIES:
“Birds of the Blue Ridge” showcases frequently seen and rare birds across the southern Appalachian region. For over three decades, Angela Minor has traveled with binoculars and field guides across the continental U.S., Alaska, the Caribbean, and seven European countries. She is a travel and nature freelance writer for several regional and national print magazines, and also created and authored the state park birding series for Bird Watcher’s Digest.
Read More by Angela Minor: BlueRidgeCountry.com/AngelaMinor