Table of Contents

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

1 Hummingbird Basics 1

1 What is a hummingbird? 1

2 How do hummingbirds differ from other birds? 2

3 Where in the world are hummingbirds found? 3

4 When did hummingbirds evolve? 7

5 How are hummingbirds classified? 12

6 What are the differences between typical or trochilid hummingbirds and hermits? 13

7 How many species of hummingbirds are there in the world? 14

8 How long do hummingbirds live? 15

9 Which are the smallest and largest hummingbirds? 16

2 Systems and Senses 19

1 Are hummingbirds intelligent? 19

2 What do hummingbirds eat? 21

3 Why do hummingbirds need to eat so much? 26

4 How do hummingbirds know which flowers have nectar? 27

5 How do hummingbirds digest their food? 28

6 How do hummingbirds get rid of the water from all that nectar they drink? 30

7 Why do hummingbirds have such long bills? 31

8 How can hummingbirds be so active? 33

9 Are hummingbirds warm blooded or cold blooded? 36

10 How fast does a hummingbird's heart beat? 37

11 How do hummingbirds conserve energy? 37

12 Can hummingbirds walk? 39

13 Do hummingbirds have a good sense of smell? 39

14 Do hummingbirds hear well? 41

15 Do hummingbirds have good eyesight? 43

16 Do hummingbirds hum? 45

17 Do hummingbirds sing? 47

3 Feathers and Bones 50

1 How fast does a hummingbird beat its wings? 50

2 How does a hummingbird hover? 52

3 How is the hummingbird's skeleton adapted to the bird's life style? 55

4 How many feathers does a hummingbird have? 57

5 How do birds keep their feathers so smooth and the wing feathers in perfect shape? 60

6 When do hummingbirds molt? 62

7 Are all hummingbirds brilliantly colored? 64

8 What are iridescent feathers? 66

9 If I find a hummingbird feather, what can it tell me? 67

4 Reproduction 69

1 How does a hummingbird attract a mate? 69

2 How do hummingbirds protect their mating territory? 71

3 Are hummingbirds monogamous? 73

4 How do hummingbirds reproduce? 74

5 Can hummingbirds of one species mate with those of another species? 74

6 How big is a hummingbird's egg? 75

7 How many young do hummingbirds have each year? 77

8 How long does it take for hummingbird eggs to hatch? 81

9 Do both hummingbird parents take care of the nest? 81

10 Why are hummingbird nests so hard to find? 82

11 How does a hummingbird female feed herself while incubating eggs? 82

12 How does a hummingbird female feed her nestlings and what do they eat? 83

13 How quickly do hummingbirds mature? 84

14 Will young hummingbirds return to a nest after they've left it? 86

5 Flight and Migration 87

1 How far can a hummingbird fly? 87

2 How are hummingbirds able to fly so far? 90

3 What tells a hummingbird when to migrate? 92

4 How do hummingbirds find their way during migration? 93

5 Do all hummingbirds migrate? 94

6 Dangers and Defenses 97

1 What are the natural predators of hummingbirds? 97

2 How do hummingbirds defend themselves and their food supply? 98

3 Do hummingbirds get sick? 99

4 Do hummingbirds get parasites? 102

5 How are flower mites dependent on hummingbirds? 103

6 What dangers do hummingbirds face in the environment? 103

7 What dangers do hummingbirds face from people? 105

8 How can I get a hummingbird safely out of my house if it has accidentally entered 106

7 Attracting and Feeding 108

1 Are hummingbirds friendly? 108

2 How can I attract hummingbirds to my garden or feeder? 109

3 Will hummingbirds feed only from red flowers? 110

4 What type of hummingbird feeder is best? 110

5 How do I make nectar to put in my hummingbird feeder? 113

6 Where is the best place to hang my hummingbird feeder? 114

7 How does a hummingbird find my feeder? 115

8 How can I discourage insects and animals from visiting my feeder? 115

9 Will my feeder interfere with hummingbirds' natural impulse to migrate? 119

10 Will a hummingbird return to my feeder the following year? 119

8 Identifying and Photographing 121

1 What is the best way to identify hummingbirds? 121

2 What features distinguish one hummingbird species from another? 124

3 How can I tell a male from a female hummingbird? 125

4 Where are the best places to see hummingbirds in the wild? 127

5 Why don't people keep caged hummingbirds as pets? 127

6 Why are there so few hummingbird exhibits in zoos and museums? 129

7 How can I photograph hummingbirds when they move so fast? 133

9 Research and Conservation 136

1 Are hummingbirds endangered? 136

2 Are hummingbirds valuable to the economy? 137

3 How do researchers capture hummingbirds for study? 138

4 What is bird banding? 141

5 Why do researchers band hummingbirds? 142

6 How can I become qualified to band hummingbirds? 145

7 What should I do if I see or rescue an injured hummingbird? 146

8 What can I do to help support the conservation and protection of hummingbird populations? 147

Appendices

A Garden Plants That Attract Hummingbirds 149

B Some Places to See Live Hummingbirds in Exhibits or Gardens 153

C Hummingbird Organizations 159

D Recommended Reading and Web Sites 161

References 163

Index 179