Birdtography

I spent some time yesterday in my backyard watching and photographing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Watching these amazing birds made me increasingly curious to learn more about them. Questions like: How do they steer and stop without hitting anything at speeds of around 50 mph? We all know that Hummers beat their wings thousands of times per minute.

Hummingbirds redefine the laws of flight, as they average about 50 wing beats per second. Here are some other fun facts that I discovered about hummers.

• Hummingbird tails, like those of other birds, help them steer and balance. The muscles that control the feathers and tailbone enable the bird to move its tail up and down, allowing it to make sudden stops to hover. The tail straightens out when the bird is at full speed.
• Their hearts beat at up to 1,260 times per minute.
• They can’t use their feet to walk or hop.
• Hummers have over 900 feathers. That may sound like a lot, but it’s the fewest amount out of any other bird species in the world.
• They breathe at an exceptionally fast rate, taking about 150 breaths per minute. We would hyperventilate if we did that.
• It’s a common misconception that hummingbirds sip nectar through a straw-like tongue. In reality, their tongues are “W”-shaped. They use rapid flicking motions, up to 18 times per second, to collect and pull the nectar into their mouths.

“I hope some of these cool facts about Hummers have piqued your curiosity.” Learning about birds can be enjoyable, and we can discover things that will help preserve these incredible creatures for future generations to enjoy.

See a high-res image of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird on my Flickr page by clicking here.