An energetic, fast and at the same time very tiny bird hummingbird ... This creature looks more like a butterfly hovering over flowers, or colorful gemstones with wings. Hummingbird in English means "humming bird" (humming-bird).
This name came about because of the ability to quickly and quickly flap wings. The rapid flapping of the wings creates a characteristic muffled hum. These handsome men are often called natural helicopters; these birds are capable of performing all their maneuvers. They make beautiful pirouettes in the air, sometimes freezing motionless, but this is a deceptive slowness. Babies are able to develop great
speed. The maximum hummingbird
speed when caring for a female is simply stunning!
Hummingbird - a small miracle of nature
Hummingbird is a small beautiful miracle created by nature! Typically, the size of the bird ranges from 5 to 25 cm, respectively, the weight is from 2 to 20 g. They have a long and sharp beak resembling a knot. Sometimes the beak is longer than the whole body of the bird. The color of these babies is bright, colorful and beautiful. A chameleon bird is what hummingbirds can be called. Its plumage changes at different times of the day, depending on the lighting.
If we consider this bird as a flying machine, then this is a mixture of a jet fighter and a helicopter equipped with a large, powerful engine with fuel injection. 50 wing flaps per second - amazing speed! But this is not all achievements, max. the hummingbird’s speed when caring for the female, the speed these small wings are capable of - 200 strokes per second!
Where do they live and what do they eat
Hummingbird lives in America. The largest representatives of this species can be found in the Andes, the smallest - in Cuba.
These birds are not afraid of humans, very often they build their nests near his home. To lure these little beauties into your garden, you just need to plant your favorite bird flowers in it and put drinkers with syrup regularly there. The birds are constant, if they like such offerings, they will return to this garden again and again.
Little gluttons feed on insects and flower nectar. They can be called gluttons with full confidence. If a person ate like hummingbirds, then he would have to eat 150-190 kg of food per day.
But to justify them for such gluttony is quite possible, because they eat on the fly. In order to drink nectar, the hummingbird hangs near the flower, the wings at this time move so that they do not create lift. The maximum speed of a hummingbird is when caring for a female, but during the day these birds lose no less energy, working their wings to get food. Not surprisingly, their wings are almost entirely composed of feathers and muscles.
Hummingbirds consume a quantity of food per day that is twice the weight of the bird itself. Naturally, food needs to be washed down with water, which babies do up to 180 times a day.
Maximum Hummingbird Speed when Caring for a Female
Nature ordered that hummingbird males look much more spectacular than females. They are real mods, in comparison with them, females look modest and pale.
As for temperament when mating, then everything is on a par. During mating, the frequency of the flapping of the wings is so high that they are practically invisible. Max. Hummingbird speed when caring for a female is 100 km / h, this fact is confirmed by experiments. Males have to try to please the female. Sometimes such courtships become like whole battles.
Hummingbird speed when courting. Females choose males
The privilege of choosing a lover unconditionally belongs to the female hummingbird. During the mating season, the female visits the territories of several males, observes the courtship and efforts of the male, only then makes her choice.
Males during such courtship perform aerobatics. The female hides in the bushes, but the male always knows where she lurks. From a great height, he dives down and immediately soars up right above her. This is the maximum hummingbird speed when courting a female. The answer of a fastidious "bride" has to wait a while.
The dizzying speed of picketing is accompanied by a squeak. It is like serenade when courted. The male always makes a pique towards the sun, so that the female can appreciate the overflow of his plumage.
Mating occurs at high speed, in some cases it exceeds 80 km / h! After mating, this beautiful novel quickly ends, the female brings up the chicks alone.
Curious Hummingbird Facts
1. The maximum speed of a hummingbird when caring for a female is 100-115 km / h. while acceleration is 10 times greater than the force of gravity.
2. During the flight at maximum speed, the hummingbird experiences the same overload as a fighter pilot, and this overload is repeated many times.
3. The squeak accompanying the peak of the male is emitted by the feathers of a bird. At a certain angle at great speed, they vibrate, making this sound.