Humming Bird In The Zinnia Patch

by Kay Novy

Title

Humming Bird In The Zinnia Patch

Artist

Kay Novy

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Hummingbirds are birds that constitute the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5 13 cm (3 5 in) range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12 80 times per second (depending on the species). They are known as hummingbirds because of the humming sound created by their beating wings, which flap at frequencies audible to humans. They also have among the highest metabolisms of any animal. To conserve energy when food is scarce, they have the ability to go into a hibernation-like state (torpor) where their metabolic rate is slowed to 1/15th of its normal rate. They can fly at speeds exceeding 15 m/s (54 km/h; 34 mph); they are also the only group of birds with the ability to fly backwards. The smallest species of hummingbirds weigh less than a penny.
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Hummingbirds drink nectar, a sweet liquid inside certain flowers. Like bees, they are able to assess the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat; they normally reject flower types that produce nectar that is less than 10% sugar and prefer those whose sugar content is higher. Nectar is a mixture of glucose, fructose, and sucrose, and is a poor source of nutrients, so hummingbirds meet their needs for protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. by preying on insects and spiders.

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February 23rd, 2014

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