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Humming BirdsThe Humming birds are famous for their flamboyant coloration, petite size and ability to hover in mid-air by hastily flapping their wings. There are between 325 and 340 recognized species of Humming bird; the number varies since the taxonomy is subjected to some debate. All the Humming bird species used to be considered a part of the order Apodiformes, but they have now been moved to their own order, Trochiliformes and the family Trochilidae. There are two subfamilies of Humming bird. The so called “typical Humming birds” are placed in the subfamily Trochilinae. |
This is by far the largest Humming bird subfamily and contains all Humming birds with the exception of 34 species of so called Hermit Humming birds that instead belong to the subfamily Phaethornithinae. The Hermit Humming birds lack the flamboyant coloration for which the typical Humming bird is famous and both sexes look quite similar.
The Humming bird is native to the Americans and the first Humming birds are believed to have evolved in South America. You will find the broadest selection of Humming bird species in tropical regions in Central and South America, but the Humming bird range is not at all limited to that part of the world. The Humming bird is present from southern Alaska and Canada all the way down to Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost tip of the South American continent. Several species of Humming bird are migratory and travel north to breed during the summer. The Black-chinned humming bird will for instance migrate to western United States and Canada to breed. Eastern North America instead serves as breeding ground for the Ruby-throated humming bird. Eastern North America will also occasionally be paid a visit by Humming bird vagrants from Cuba, the Bahamas and other nearby tropical islands, but such incidents are quite rare.
All the Humming bird species in the subfamily Trochilinae are renowned and admired for their ostentatious plumage. The most strikingly coloured Humming birds are the males; the female Humming bird tends to have a more camouflaging coloration. Since the Humming bird looks almost unbelievable gorgeous with its showy plumage, the various Humming bird species have frequently been adorned with similarly flamboyant common names, such as the Festive Coquette humming bird, the Green-crowned Brilliant humming bird, the Glittering-bellied Emerald humming bird and the Amethyst-throated Sunangel humming bird.
As mentioned earlier in this article, the Humming bird is famous for the way it hovers in mid-air. The Humming bird is capable of flapping its wings 15-80 times per second and can even fly backwards and vertically. The exact flap-rate is largely determined by the size of the bird. This ability to hover for longer periods of time makes it possible for the Humming bird to drink nectar from flowers. The rapid flapping of the wings produces a humming sound for which the birds have been named.
The smallest bird known to science is the Bee Humming bird, Mellisuga helenae. This Humming bird weighs no more than 1.8 grams. Even the medium-sized Humming bird species are very light weight, and the middle-sized Rufous-tail Humming bird, Amazilia tzacatl, will for instance weigh no more than 3 grams even though it can measure up to 12 centimetres in length.
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