|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Previous Issues > October 2007 > Wildville! > The Hummingbird
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
 Wildville!
The Hummingbird
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Hummingbirds are tiny birds in fact, they are the smallest birds, growing to only 2.5 inches long!
The hummingbird is known for its hovering in mid-air by flapping its wings very fast. Some species flap as fast as 200 times per second! That's really fast! The "hum" that the wings make is the reason for their name. They are also the only bird that can fly backwards!
Because the hummingbird is such an excellent flyer, there is no need to walk. They really only use their tiny feet for perching on things. Hummingbirds feed on the nectar of flowering plants. They eat more than their own body weight each day! And to do that, they must visit hundreds of flowers a day. They have a special tongue that allows them to reach deep inside the flower. To drink the nectar, they take 13 licks per second. They also eat insects, especially when feeding their babies.
There are 338 species of hummingbirds, but only a few live in the United States. Most live in South America. The ruby-throated hummingbird is found in the Eastern U.S. and parts of Canada. This tiny bird has green iridescent feathers, and the males have a showy red throat when the light hits it just right. The females do not have the red throat. In the western U.S., you will find the black-chinned hummingbird. You guessed it the male has a black chin. But the female's chin is white. A third hummingbird, the buff-bellied hummingbird, lives in Mexico and South America, but sometimes is found along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. in Texas and Louisiana.
Sources: Stokes Field Guide to Birds; National Audubon Societys Hummingbirds Up Close video; Brittanica Student Encyclopedia.
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
