Check Out These Cute
Brazilian Hummers

Australian Sunbirds:
The Down Under Version Of Hummers

   I have always had an overwhelming fascination for hummingbirds. I have several feeders that I put out every year so I can watch them up close.
   I have a very large collection of hummingbird paraphernalia: hummer tea sets, hummers made of wood, hummers made of crystal, a hummer coffee pot, clock, pictures, jewelry, clothing, and even a border of hummers in my kitchen.
   The love I have for these wonderful little birds is what has inspired me to design my Hummer Award.

Where are humming birds found?
   They are found as far north as Alaska and as far south as Tierra del Fuego.
   Over half of the species are found in Ecuador and Brazil. They inhabit North and South America and also groups of islands farther away.

   19 species are found in West Indies and the Bahamas, 2 species are in Juan Fermadez islands. They can also be found near the frozen Andean peaks of Chimborazo, Sangay and Cotopaxi. 163 species are found near the Equator, 54 in Costa Rica, 51 in Mexico.
  There are 21 species that can be found in North America (only 4 in Canada) but only 16 breed there.

   These are the worlds' smallest birds. The smallest is the Calypte helena, commonly known as the Cuban Bee hummingbird. This little bird is only 2 1/2" long.
   The largest hummer is the Patagona gigas, commonly known as the Giant hummingbird. This hummer is 8 1/2" long!
   Two other unusal hummers are the Sicklebill hummingbird and the Sword-Billed hummingbird.

   The New England Colonists were the first to call them hummingbirds after hearing the "hum" from the wings of these little birds.

   Torpor means to go into an almost death-like trance. When active, hummers must eat every ten minutes or so to support their high metabolism (converting food to energy). Their metabolism is the highest of any warm-blooded animal.
   They do not feed at night so they must slow down their body functions to conserve energy. When in this rest stage (torpor), they can look like they are dead because at times they do not breathe and are stiff. They can slow their heartbeat down from 1260 beats per minute to only 50 beats per minute.

   Hummers are great helicopters. They can fly forward, backward, upside down, right, left and even hover. They can fly at speeds of up to 25 and 30 miles an hour. During some of their incredible maneuvers they can reach speeds of over 60 miles an hour! Their little wings beat an average of 20-25 times per second. In some of their dives their wings beat up to 200 times per second.

   No, not really. In folklore, it was believed that during migration, hummers actually hitched a ride on a larger bird. There is no documented proof of this ever happening. Some hummers do, however, cover great distances, which is perhaps the origin of this myth because it was considered unbelievable that such a small bird could travel so far.
    The Ruby-throated and Rufous hummers, for example, fly away to their winter residences 2,000 miles or more away. Hummers do not travel in flocks like most birds. They travel alone on their long journeys.

   The brilliant colors in a hummingbird's feather are created by tiny platelets that resemble a pancake filled with air bubbles. They are called "interference colors," and are much like the shimmering colors seen in a soap bubble or in a drop of oil.

   I have three types of hummers that visit each summer. They are the Black-chinned, Broad-tailed and sometimes the Calliope. These are all summer visitors and they all leave before our winter hits. They come to Utah to breed but do not make Utah their home all year. Read more about my hummers here.

   Here is a list of some of the best flowers to plant if you want to attract hummers to your yard if you live in an area where hummers can be found.