Tail feathers, like oars, rake in the air, helping the bird move in three dimensions at once. Looking into the funnel of a bright orange flower, she sticks out a thin, thread-like tongue from her beak-needle. Feathers shimmer, reflecting the sun’s rays. Even scientists call them beautiful, amazing and exotic.
You can’t take your eyes off the hummingbird. They are bright, shiny and iridescent with all the colors of the rainbow. These birds are so delightful that they cannot be described in dry scientific terms.
Everyone who sees them live at least once instantly takes hundreds of photos and uploads them to Instagram. There is no doubt that after publishing a photo with this beautiful bird, you will not even need to buy Instagram followers, because one hashtag with its name is enough and you will have all the viewers.
Now you will learn some interesting facts about hummingbirds.
— In total, there are about 330 species of hummingbirds in the world. These fragile-looking creatures are the hardiest in the animal kingdom. They are found in very different, often even harsh climates from Alaska to Argentina, from the deserts of Arizona to the coast of Nova Scotia, from Brazil to the snow line of the Andes.
— The weight of the hummingbird is 1.6 g, and the length is 5.7 cm, while the tail and beak make up half the length of the body. The body length of a giant hummingbird is about 20 cm. People often take pictures with this bird in their arms because it is the smallest in the world and it is very cute. If you take such a photo, then you risk becoming a famous blogger without having to buy real Instagram followers. Be careful! Users love cute photos.
— The heart rate of hummingbirds is extremely high — 500 beats per minute. And it’s at rest! In some species, it reaches 1000 per minute. It shrinks 4.5 billion times in its lifetime. This is almost twice the size of a man’s heart during seventy years of life;
— Hummingbirds eat a lot. For a day they consume about 2 times more than they weigh themselves. Only in this way can they maintain an increased metabolism and a constant body temperature. They feed on flower nectar and insects. Often, for the sake of a beautiful photo or for a pleasant memory, people try to attract a bird with honey or sugar so that it sits on their hand. But this is not worth doing because they must eat on their own what is good for them.
— The flight of hummingbirds is extremely fast (up to 80 km/h), they make up to 80-100 strokes per second. The movement of the wings is so fast that the outlines of their accomplishment merge. Very often they keep motionless in front of the flowers due to the rapid beat of the wings.
— These birds perform tricks in the air that no other living creature in the world can do. They can compete in their skills only with the latest rockets and spaceships!
But if you think that now you know everything about hummingbirds and nothing will surprise you anymore, then you are mistaken! This beautiful bird can be talked about forever because it is truly amazing and looks stunning on a small palm tree.
