Hummingbirds: Nature’s Charmed Pollinators
Hummingbirds: Nature’s Charmed Pollinators
Written by Kristine Manganelli (Somerset County 4-H Coordinator)
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding on Bee Balm
I saw a hummingbird in my garden the other day! I feel so lucky whenever this happens, like I am graced with their presence. Maybe that’s why a group of hummingbirds is called a “charm”. To be charming is to be delightful, even magical. From gem colored plumage to acrobatic flying skills hummingbirds live up to their name.
Hummingbirds are the smallest bird in the world, weighing only about as much as a nickel. Their feet are so tiny, that they can barely walk. However, this adaptation reduces aerodynamic drag that would slow down flight speed. Hummingbirds have been clocked at over 30 miles per hour! It’s hard to imagine that their wings beat 60 to 80 times per second creating the signature humming sound. Hummingbirds have a flexible shoulder joint that allows the wings to rotate almost 180 degrees while moving back and forth in a figure eight pattern. Chest muscles are used to flap the wings, and though tiny, hummingbird pectorals are stronger than any other bird group, adding up to 30 percent of their overall body weight.
So unlike other birds, hummingbirds can fly in almost any direction, including backwards and upside down. Because their wings flap so quickly, they are the only vertebrates that are capable of sustained hovering (staying in one place during flight). These advantages allow them to maneuver quickly between flowers gathering nectar, qualifying them as one of our treasured pollinators.
Hummingbirds use so much energy during flight that they need to eat every 10 to 15 minutes, all day long. Flower nectar is packed with sugar and a great meal that provides energy for hummingbirds, who eat up to half their weight in sugar. To do this they will visit between 1,000 and 2,000 flowers per day. This puts flower nectar in high demand among hummingbirds and they will chase off competitors to defend small territories around their favorite nectar sources. They also eat insects which they grab right out of the air due to their ability to fly at extremely high speeds.
When a hummingbird is at rest its heart beats 225 times per minute and increases to more than 1,200 times per minute during flight. But on cold nights, hummingbirds have the ability to conserve energy by entering a temporary deep sleep-like state of torpor, or controlled hypothermia, by lowering their heart rate and body temperature. They speed up their metabolism in the morning to get back to their normal 105 degree body temperature.
Hummingbirds are only found in the Americas, and Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only species found in New Jersey. The males have iridescent, gem colored throats while the female coloring is more subdued to blend in with the nest. Males use these beautiful feathers and a courtship dance routine to impress potential mates. They dive at high speeds from up to 50 feet high in looping patterns. However, these birds are known for being solitary creatures, so hummingbird couples will not form a pair after mating. The female builds a walnut sized nest made of spider webs and lichen. She lays two or three pea-sized eggs and raises them alone.
Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird at Feeder
Like monarch butterflies, after breeding and taking advantage of abundant food supply in the north, hummingbirds make an incredible flight to Mexico or Central America for the winter. As daylight hours decrease in the late summer and early fall, hummingbirds know to start their migration south. These tiny birds are able to make the 1,200 mile journey across the Gulf of Mexico without stopping! They return north in the spring, following flowers as they bloom until they make it back to the breeding grounds.
It feels good to offer some positivity to end this post because ruby-throated hummingbird populations are actually on the rise! Below are some ways to attract hummingbirds to your yard, as well as how to get involved in the study and protection of these gems.
National Audubon Society opportunity: If you want to help hummingbirds, become a citizen scientist by tracking hummingbird visits and feeding habits! Contribute your data to: http://www.hummingbirdsathome.org/ or download the Hummingbirds at Home app.
Create a hummingbird garden: To attract hummingbirds and other pollinators choose native plants with varying bloom times to provide a source of nectar throughout spring and summer. Hummingbirds are attracted to red which is an advantage over bees that cannot see this color. Their long, thin beaks can navigate flowers with tubular petals. According to the Hummingbirds at Home data, their favorites are bee balm, coral honeysuckle, cardinal flower, and sage.
Put hummingbird feeders in your yard & make your own nectar: While well intentioned, store-bought hummingbird nectar includes unnatural additives such as red dye that are not the healthiest option. Making your own nectar at home is easy and fun! Follow the suggestions and recipe adapted from the Audubon Society below:
Ingredients
Refined white sugar
(Please do use refined white sugar! Do not use artificial sweeteners, honey, or even organic and raw sugars. Plain, white table sugar is sucrose. When mixed with water, it closely mimics the chemical composition of natural nectar.)
Water
Directions:
Mix 1 part sugar with 4 parts boiled water (for example, 1 cup of sugar with 4 cups of water) until the sugar is dissolved
Do NOT add red dye! It is not necessary and the chemicals could be harmful to hummingbirds
Cool nectar and fill feeders. Hang outside where you can view hummingbird visitors (If you have more than 1 feeder, place in different areas of your yard to prevent competition among territorial hummingbirds)
Extra nectar can be stored in a refrigerator
Change feeders at least twice weekly or if cloudy. Thoroughly clean with vinegar to prevent harmful mold growth and fermentation (hang in shade to prevent this)