hummers

HUMMINGBIRDS
JEWELS ON THE WING

MARVELS OF FLIGHT

-Patricia Lawrence

    Hummingbirds are at home anywhere in the tropics and are quite a fascinating bird to watch in flight. They are so tiny yet so graceful. The hummingbird is classified in the order Micropodiformes--creatures with tiny feet. Hummingbirds are very small iridesecent gems with feathers and are native in the New World, where they are found in great numbers. They have a range from the very humid lowlands, where temperatures can be very hot, to the temperate rain forests of the mountain ranges. Some will migrate to very cool land to breed. These are the tiniest of all birds, with some measuring only 3 inches from beak to tail. Without their feathers these creatures are hardly larger than a bee. Their food consists of small insects and the necture of flowers. They generally prefer to be alone, although they may be seen in great numbers hoovering above a favorite blooming bush.
     The nests of hummingbirds are usually very shallow nests made of very soft materials, and then lined with a soft down, such as wild cotton. The nest is tightly woven and glued together with saliva and bits of spider web so it forms a solid mass, and are well hidden on the branches of very leafy trees.   The female bird is the nest builder and she also takes care of the young.   Usually the female will lay two eggs, the eggs being less than one-half an inch long. The courtship of the male is a curious sight to see. Males will do all kinds of acrobatic moves to show off. At very high speeds the male will dive straight down from considerable altitudes passing his chosen mate, while the mate watches as she is perched on the branch of a tree. After the eggs are laid, the male deserts the family.
     The song of the hummingbird is very high-pitched and nervous, and not attractive to listen to. However, the song does not take away from the charm of this tiny bird.
     These tiny birds can fly forward, backward or stop in the air, rapidly beating their wings, about eighty times a second. It was the study of the hummingbird that men were finally able to design and build the helicopter.
     The sword-billed hummingbird of the tropics of Ecuador "sips its nectar through a straw" - as the bill is longer than the rest of the bird.
     They range in color from emerald green, cherry billed, ruby throated and the Rufus hummingbird who appears as a copper red color.
     So if you find hummingbirds where you live watch this very tiny marvels of flight. You will be amazed at the speed, agility, and stricking beauty of these very tiny birds.