Trochilidae
"Hummingbirds"
Author: Joy Bickley
jbickley@arches.uga.edu
Photographs (c) Dan True
* Other Names:
* Description and Interesting Facts:
Hummingbirds are small nectarivorous and insectivorous members of the
avian order Apodiformes, but they differ from other members of the order
because they have long, slender bills and bitubular tongues (Johnsgard,
1997). There are about 338 species of Hummingbirds in the world, and
about 16 of those are found in the United States and Canada (6).
They begin arriving in the U.S. in February and continue through spring;
in late August and early September they begin their migratory route back
to warmer climates of Mexico and Central America, where they spend the
winter (Tyrrell,
1985). Hummingbirds are found only in the Western Hemisphere - as far
north as Alaska and as far south as Tierra del Fuego (7).
They are the smallest birds in the world, and their long, slim bills easily
distinguish them from other birds (Tyrrell,
1985). They can live up to 12 years, however most live only 3 to 5
years (Stokes,
1989). Hummingbirds can fly right, left, up, down, backwards, and even
upside down (2). They flap their wings about 50 or so
times in a single second (2). Because they fly so much,
they have poorly developed feet; in fact, they can barely walk at all -
to eat they perch or hover (6). They have excellent
memory often returning to the same food source year after year (2).
The smallest hummingbird in the world is the bee hummingbird of Cuba -
it is only 2 and 1/4 inches long (Stokes,
1989). The only predator that is known for hunting hummingbirds is
the tiny hawk, Accipiter superciliosus fontanieri, of Costa Rica
rain forests (True,
1993). Audubon called hummingbirds a "glittering fragment of the rainbow"
(Tyrrell,
1985).
*Diet:
Hummingbirds require an adequate diet of protein, carbohydrates, fats,
vitamins, and minerals (Tyrrell,
1985). The major part of a hummingbird's diet is sugar which they get
from flower nectar and tree sap (2). In fact, hummingbirds
may consume up to 50% of their weight in sugar each day (6).
Insects, mosquitoes, gnats, and flies also play a huge part in their diets
because they provide the protein, minerals, vitamins, and fats that hummingbirds
need for feather, bone, and muscle maintenance and growth (True,
1993). In fact, it only takes about 10 minutes for some insects to
pass completely through a hummingbird's body (Tyrrell,
1985). To meet their high energy demands, hummingbirds must feed about
every five minutes to an hour (True,
1993). Hummingbirds do not have a sense of smell, instead they locate
food by eyesight (Stokes,
1989 ). Flowers are hummingbirds biggest attention grabers, especially
those that are bright red, orange, or red-orange in color, with tubular-shaped
blossoms (8). Hence, this is why they are equipped with
a long bitubular tongue that acts much like a straw to suck out the nectar.
There are at least 150 species of North American flowering plants exhibit
an "ornithophilous syndrome" - they have features apparently modified through
evolution for hummingbirds to spread around their pollen - not surprisingly,
these plants usually have large red or red-yellow flowers, have no scent,
and bloom during daylight hours (hummingbirds do not feed after dark) (Johnsgard,
1997). If an average man had the metabolism that was comparable to
that of a hummingbird, he would have to eat about 285 pounds of hamburger
meat every day to maintain his body weight (Stokes,1989).
*Breeding Habits
Hummingbirds are obviously oviparous (meaning they lay eggs) (Tyrrell,
1985), and they also have the smallest eggs of all birds - half the
size of a jellybean (Stokes,
1989). Courtship consists of song, exhibition of iridescent plumage
and dazzling aerial flights (Tyrrell,
1985). Male hummingbirds play no role in the reproductive process beyond
fertilization - it is the female who builds the nest alone (Johnsgard,
1997). The typical nest
of a hummingbird is very tiny - about the size of a walnut. The outer
part is covered with moss and plant fibers and are often shingled with
lichens (3).
The female hummingbirds lays 2 eggs which are white and elliptical in shape,
and then she incubates them for 14 to 21 days (Johnsgard,
1997). After hatching, the nestlings remain in the nest for about 21
days (Tyrrell,
1985).
* How to Encounter:
The best way to encounter hummingbirds is to put up hummingbird feeders
in early February, about the time migration starts. It is also to possible
to build an entire "Hummingbird Garden" - the best place to go to find
out how to do that is to get the book by Donald
and Lillian stokes entitled "The Hummingbird Book" in which
they published in 1989.
*Species List:
Compiled from lists given by Johnsgard,
1983, Tyrrell,
1985, and (9).
Subfamily Phaethornithinae
Subfamily Trochilinae
Abeillia
Acestrura
Adelomyia
Aglaeactis
Aglaiocercus
Amazilia
Anthocephala
Anthracothorax
Aphantochroa
Archilochus
Atthis
Augasmall
Augastes
Avocettula
Boissonneaua
Calliphlox
Calothorax
Calypte
Campylopterus
Chaetocercus
Chalcostigma
Chalybura
Chlorestes
Chlorostilbon
Chrysolampis
Chrysuronia
Clytolaema
Coeligena
Colibri
Cyanophaia
Cynanthus
Damophila
Discosura
Doricha
Doryfera
Elvira
Ensifera
Eriocnemis
Eugenes
Eulampis
Eulidia
Eupetomena
Eupherusa
Florisuga
Goethalsia
Goldmania
Haplophaedia
Heliactin
Heliangelus
Heliodoxa
Heliomaster
Heliothryx
Hylonympha
Klais
Lafresnaya
Lamprolaima
Lepidopyga
Lesbia
Leucippus
Leucochloris
Loddigesia
Lophornis
Melanotrochilus
Mellisuga
Metallura
Microchera
Microstilbon
Myrmia
Myrtis
Neolesbia
Ocreatus
Opisthoprora
Oreonympha
Oreotrochilus
Orthorhyncus
Oxypogon
Panterpe
Paphosia
Patagona
Phaeochroa
Philodice
Phlogophilus
Polyonymus
Polyplancta
Polytmus
Popelairia
Pterophanes
Ptochoptera
Ramphomicron
Rhodopsis
Sappho
Schistes
Selaphorus
ardens
Glow-throated Hummingbird
flammula Volcano
Hummingbird
platycercus Broad-tailed Hummingbird
rufus
Rufus Hummingbird
sasin
Allen Hummingbird
scintilla
Scintillant Hummingbird
simoni
Cerise-throated Hummingbird
torridus Heliotrope-throated
Hummingbird
Sephanoides
Sericotes
Stellula
Stephanoxis
Sternoclyta
Taphrolesbia
Taphrospilus
Thalurania
Thaumastura
Tilmatura
Tilmatura
Topaza
Trochilus
Urochroa
Urosticte
Zodalia
*Identification Guide for North American Hummingbirds:
as printed in Paul
A. Johnsgard's The Hummingbirds of North America, 1983
A. Larger, wing at least 60 mm
B. Violet
ear-patch present, tail with a black band near tip (Colubri thalassinus)
BB. No violet
ear-patch or black band near tip of tail
C. Bill very long (culmen 33-36 mm), white rump patch present (Heliomaster
constantii)
CC. Bill shorter (culmen less than 32 mm), no white rump patch
D. Tail bluish or black with a white tip, that of male slightly forked
(Heliodoxa fulgens)
DD. Tail green, with grayish tip, that of male somewhat rounded (Lampornis
clemenciae)
AA. Smaller, wing no more than 56 mm
B. Bill reddish,
at least on lower mandible, nasal operculum at least partly exposed
C. Nasal operculum wholly exposed, a white eye-stripe present above a blackish
ear-patch (Cynanthus)
D. Ear-patch black, with a long white eye-stripe above (C. leucotis)
DD. Ear-patch grayish, bordered above with a short, dull whitish eye-stripe
(C. latirostris)
CC. Nasal operculum partially concealed, not with combination of a white
eye-strip above a blackish earpatch
D. Tail forked and dusky violet to blackish, a small white spot present
behind eye (Chlorostilbon ricordii)
DD. Tail square or only notched, brownish; no white spot behind eye (Amazilia)
E. Bill only slightly widened basally, only lower mandible reddish basally
(A. beryllina)
EE. Bill abruptly widened near its base, both upper and lower mandibles
reddish
F. Chin and throat white (A. violiceps)
FF. Chin and throat metallic green
G. Central tail feathers brownish, abdomen brownish gray (A. tzacatl)
GG. Central tail feathers greenish, abdomen buffy (A. yucatanensis)
BB. Bill blackish,
not broader than deep at base, nasal operculum concealed by feathers
C. Bill either unusually short (exposed culmen less than one-fourth as
long as wing) or long and decurved (exposed culmen more than half as long
as wing)
D. Bill short and straight, more than half of it covered by feathering
(Orthorhyncus cristatus)
DD. Bill long and decurved, tail deeply forked in males (Calothorax
lucifer)
CC. Bill straight or only slightly decurved, one-fourth to one-half as
long as wing
D. Plumage usually with considerable rufous, at least on tail, which is
usually rounded in both sexes; outermost primary of male sometimes sharply
pointed
E. Abdomen pale rufous, bounded by a whitish breast, central tail feathers
distinctly shorter than the rest and the tail forked in males (Calothorax
evelynae)
EE. Abdomen and breast both whitish, with darker flanks, central tail feathers
as long as the others (Selasphorus)
F. Bill short (exposed culmen 10-13 mm), wing usually less than 36 mm (S.
heloisa)
FF. Bill longer (at least 13.5 mm), wing usually at least 37 mm
G. Lateral rectrices mostly blackish, wing 45-52 mm (S. platycercus)
H. Throat metallic red or purple (males)
I. Back metallic green (S. sasin)
II. Back cinnamon-rufous (S. rufous)
HH. Throat whitish, usually flecked with dusky (females)
I. Outermost rectrix no more than 2.7 mm wide (S. sasin)
II. Outermost rectrix more than 3 mm wide (S. rufous)
DD. Plumage lacking any rufous, tail square or slightly forked in males
and outermost primary never sharply pointed (Archilochus)
E. Inner rectrices broadening subterminally, throat feathers of adult males
very narrow and pure white basally (A. calliope)
EE. All rectrices more or less tapering toward tips
F. Inner primaries with small notch near tip of inner web, lateral rectrices
pointed
G. Throat metallic purplish or violet (males)
H. Throat purplish red (A. colubris)
HH. Throat black and violet (A. alexandri)
GG. Throat dull white, tail double-rounded or rounded (females)
H. Exposed culmen 17-19.5 mm, tail double-rounded (middle rectrices shorter
than outer ones) (A. colubris)
HH. Exposed culmen 19.5-22 mm, tail rounded (A. alexandri)
FF. Inner primaries not notched near tip of inner web, lateral rectrices
mostly rounded
G. Gorget and crown metallic-colored (males)
H. Gorget and crown purplish red, outermost rectrices normal in width (A.
anna)
HH. Gorget and crown violet, outermost rectrices distinctly narrowed (A.
costae)
GG. Throat pale gray or dull whitish, no gorget (females)
H. Wing 48-51 mm, pale grayish underparts and tail corners (A. anna)
HH. Wing 43.5-46 mm, whitish underparts and tail corners (A. costae)
*Works Cited
Stokes,
Donald and Lillian. 1989. The Hummingbird Book. Little, Brown and
Company. Boston MA. (ISBN 0-316-81715-5). 89 pages.
Tyrrell,
Esther Q. & Robert A. 1985. Hummingbirds: Their Life and Behavior.
Crown Publishers, Inc. New York, NY. (ISBN 0-517-55336-8). 212 pages.
Johnsgard,
Paul A. 1983. The Hummingsbirds of North America. Smithsonian Institution
Press. Washington, D.C. (ISBN 0-87474-562-4). 303 pages.
Johnsgard,
Paul A. 1997. The Hummingsbirds of North America. Smithsonian Institution
Press. Washington, D.C. (ISBN 1-56098-708-1). 278 pages.
True,
Dan. 1993. Hummingbirds of North America: Attracting, Feeding, and Photographing.
Univeristy of New Mexico Press. Albuquerque, NM. (ISBN 0-8263-1398-1).
213 pages.
(1) http://www.portalproductions.com/h/qa/migrate.html
(2) http://www.portalproductions.com/h/behavior.html
(3) http://www.portalproductions.com/h/nest.html
(4) http://www.portalproductions.com/h/iridescent.html
(5) http://derived.com:80/~lanny/hummers/rubythroated.html
(6) http://derived.com:80/~lanny/hummers/rufous.html
(7) http://www.wbu.com/edu/hummer.html
(8) http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/6745/hummingbird.html
(9) http://derived.com:80/~lanny/hummers/worldhummers