My Little Hummingbird

This hummingbird was photographed at my Aunt and Uncle’s house in Glens Falls New York. I was only able to get one photo before it took off and as you can see it was the flash that drove it away. Sadly the photo doesn’t give me much for species identification but I think that it is a Ruby Throated Female hummingbird. There are three species that can be found in New York Sate. They are the Ruby-Throated, Rufous, and Calliope hummingbirds.

Hummingbirds have several unique characteristics that set them apart from other flying birds. First and foremost is the hummingbird’s flight specialty, hovering. By flapping its tiny wings an average of 50 to 60 times a second it is capable of great aerial agility. On top of that the hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backwards, giving it unmatched precision and balance for flight. All of this is of course aided by its rather small size. Most hummingbirds range only two to four inches in length and weigh between 2 to 20 grams. A key physical trait is their long and slender straw-like beak, which contains an equally long tongue. They use these beaks to drink the nectar from red and orange tubular flowers such as the cardinal flower and honeysuckle. Small flies and spiders serve as the protein in their diet. In an odd side note, hummingbirds have legs but are unable to walk or hop using them. Their sole mode of transportation is flight.

Great Examples of Size Comparison

This poses a huge strain on their body’s food requirement. At a minimum, a hummingbird must eat double its own body weight each day or risk dying of starvation during the night. Nature's example of honing evolution into a liability.