Hummingbird Facts
The perfect name for this little bird, is Hummingbird. Hummingbirds where given this name because their wings create a humming sound when their wings beat at around 50 times per second. They can fly at speeds exceeding 15 m/s or 54 km/h. With flashes of colours before your eyes, these cute little birds, “zip- zag” from flower to flower, fulfilling their task of drinking nectar as their main food source and pollinate flowers and plants in the process. While in flight hummingbirds have the highest metabolism rate of all animals. Their heart rate can reach as high as 1,260 beats per minute and 250 breaths per minute, even at rest, required to support their rapid wings during flight and rest.
These birds are impressive! They possess a variety and abundance of colored feathers, when the sunlight shines on them at a certain angle. A grey looking bird will suddenly brighten up, with glimmering shades of blue, green, or other rainbow colors right before your eyes.
Watch them visit red, pink and brightly colored flowers fueling up with nectar in an amount more than their own body weight daily. Be amazed by their speed, beauty and be entertained by their acrobatic performances. With Natures Photo Adventures you will learn how to photograph hummingbirds in flight using multi-flash photography techniques, and how to capture a full frame bird photograph perfectly in focus showing off their amazing colors when you have over a hundred of them flying around you.
There are over 325 species of hummingbirds, residing in South and Central America, USA, Mexico, the Caribbean and some parts of Canada. The majority of these brilliantly coloured birds can be easily seen in Columbia (160 species), Ecuador (130 species), Costa Rica, and in the Caribbean, Trinidad Tobago.
Each species has a different migration pattern and some migrate as far north as British Columbia, Canada. A Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is commonly seen in this non-tropical cool region. Each unique geographical area, attracts different hummingbird species, one of the most commonly seen hummingbirds throughout is the White-Necked Jacobin Hummingbird.
The White-Necked Jacobin Hummingbird is one of the most aggressive hummingbirds. He/she will defend his territory aggressively when others fly in to compete for the sugar water at a feeder or his flowering plant. The White-Necked Jacobin will attack other birds with their beaks full force twisting and turning their torsos in battle. Watching a battle of hummingbirds at the feeder is like watching a flurry of color race before your eyes.
With variety of sizes, the Bee Hummingbird is only 1.6 grams and is the smallest living bird in the world and resides mainly in Cuba. The Giant Hummingbird is the largest bird of the hummingbird family, weighing 18–24 g (0.63–0.85 oz) with a wingspan measuring approximately 21.5 cm (8.5 in) in length, and possesses wing strokes as slow as 12 per second. Female Hummingbirds, lay 3-4 eggs, with both male and female contributing to feeding and building the nest.
Some of the most impressive and colourful hummingbirds are the Fiery Throated Hummingbird, Green Throated Mango, and Snow –Capped Hummingbird located in Costa Rica. The Booted Racket Tail Hummingbird, Velvet-Purple Coronet Hummingbird, Ecuador. The Long Tailed- Slyph and Collard Inca Hummingbirds, found in the mountain ranges of Peru.
All these hummingbirds are beautiful and entertaining to watch. If you are looking for relaxed entertainment, a warm climate and want to see a rainbow of fireworks created by nature, explore the regions such of Ecuador, Columbia or Costa Rica, Peru, where these incredible speedy birds reside.
Natures Photo Adventures top hummingbird birding tours and hummingbird photography workshops are in Costa Rica, Ecuador , Peru and Trinidad & Tobago.
