Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds

Subject : Environment

Section :Species in news

Hummingbirds:

• Hummingbirds are small, brightly colored birds known for their rapid wing beats and ability to hover in mid-air.
• They are found in the Americas, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, and are a popular subject for birdwatchers and photographers.
• There are over 300 species of hummingbirds, with a wide range of sizes and colors. The smallest hummingbird species, the bee hummingbird, is only about 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) long, while the largest species, the giant hummingbird, can grow up to 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) long.
• Hummingbirds are known for their unique flying abilities. Their wings can beat up to 80 times per second, allowing them to hover in place, fly backwards, and change direction quickly.
• They are also capable of flying long distances, with some species migrating thousands of miles each year.
• The energy demands of hovering are very high. Relative to their body mass, hummingbirds have the highest metabolic rate among vertebrates.
• Hummingbirds feed primarily on nectar from flowers, which provides them with the energy they need to sustain their high metabolism. They also eat small insects and spiders for protein.
• Hummingbird species live year-round in tropical mountain habitats at high altitudes, such as in the Andes over ranges of 1,500 metres to 5,200 metres where the partial pressure of oxygen in the air is reduced, a condition of hypoxic challenge for the high metabolic demands of hummingbirds.
• In Andean hummingbirds living at high elevations, researchers found that the oxygen-carrying protein in blood hemoglobin had increased oxygen-binding affinity, and that this adaptive effect likely resulted from evolutionary mutations within the hemoglobin molecule via specific amino acid changes due to natural selection.