Hummingbird
Since hummingbirds are such competitive and solitary creatures, they are
not lifetime maters. Hybrid mating is relatively rare among
hummingbirds. It is often the female who begins looking for the male
once she has chosen a location for her nest and started to build it.
Males attract females by posing, flying in particular patterns and
creating vocal and wing sounds. Sometimes they dive toward females, or
fly back and forth before them, showing off the iridescence of their
feathers. The males also 'possess' territories rich in flowers and the
females gain an ample food source in exchange for offering the male sole
paternity rights. Intercourse is brief, though it may occur several
times, but never for more than one day. The birds can actually mate
while in mid-flight. Once the act has been completed, the female
hummingbird lays the eggs and then hatches them on her own. She usually
chooses a location that is not in a most favorable feeding area, opting
for peace and quiet, even if it means relyin
» Hummingbirds have split tongues, which they fold into a tube when feeding.
» A hummingbird's heart beats 1,260 beats per minute during the day and slows to 50 beats per minute during the night.
» Normal flight speed for a hummingbird is 25 to 30 mph, but hummers can dive at speeds of up to 60 mph.
» Hummingbirds eat both nectar and the small insects found near the nectar
» An average hummingbird consumes half its weight in nectar each day.
» Hummingbirds can fly forward, backward, shift sideways and stop in mid-air
» The Hummingbird is the world's smallest bird.
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