Hummingbird
Female Black-chinned Hummingbird
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata (unranked) Cypselomorphae Superorder: Neoaves Order: Apodiformes Family: Trochilidae Vigors, 1825
Subfamilies
Phaethornithinae Trochilinae For a taxonomic list of genera, see: List of hummingbirds in taxonomic order For an alphabetic species list, see: Alphabetic species list

Hummingbirds are birds of the family Trochilidae, and are native only to the Americas. Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Cypselomorphae is a Clade of Birds It includes the living families and orders Caprimulgidae (nightjars nighthawks and allies Neognaths ( Neognathae) are Birds within the Subclass Neornithes of the class Aves. Nicholas Aylward Vigors (1785 &ndash October 26, 1840) was an Irish Zoologist and Politician. The Hermits are Tropical and Subtropical Hummingbirds in the subfamily Phaethornithinae, comprising 30–40 species in six genera Trochilinae is a Subfamily of the hummingbird family ( Trochilidae) This is a list of Hummingbird genera in Taxonomic order. List of hummingbirds has a complete species list sortable by common and binomial name This is a complete list of Hummingbirds in alphabetical order sortable by common or binomial name In Biological classification, family ( Latin The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America They are known for their ability to hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 15–80 times per second (depending on the species). WING "ESPN 1410" is a commercial AM radio station in Dayton Ohio operating with 5000 watts at 1410 kHz with studios offices and transmitter located on David Capable of sustained hovering, hummingbirds also have the ability to fly backward, being the only group of birds able to do so. ^[1] Hummingbirds may also fly vertically and laterally. Their English name derives from the characteristic hum made by their wings. A hum is a Sound made by Singing a wordless tone with the mouth completely closed forcing the sound to emerge from the Nose.

Appearance

A hummingbird with its tongue out.

Hummingbirds are small birds with long, thin bills. Anatomy Stegosaurus --> Beaks can vary significantly in size and shape from species to species The bill, combined with an extendable, bifurcated tongue, has evolved in order to allow the bird to feed upon nectar deep within flowers. A forked tongue is a Tongue split into two distinct ends at the tip this is a feature common to many species of Reptiles Reptiles smell using the tip of eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 Nectar is a Sugar -rich liquid produced by plants It is produced either by the Flowers in which it attracts pollinating animals or by extrafloral The bill can be opened wide, and the lower half (mandible) has the ability to flex downward to create an even wider opening; this facilitates the capture of flying insects in the mouth rather than at the tip of the bill. The mandible (from Latin mandibula, "jawbone" or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower Jaw and holds the lower teeth in place ^[2]

Iridescent plumage in a male Anna's Hummingbird. Iridescence is an Optical phenomenon in which Hue changes with the angle from which a surface is viewed Plumage refers both to the layer of Feathers that cover a Bird and the pattern colour and arrangement of those feathers The Anna's Hummingbird ( Calypte anna) is a medium-sized Hummingbird.

The Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) is the smallest bird in the world, weighing 1. The Bee Hummingbird ( Mellisuga helenae) is a Hummingbird, and the smallest of all Birds It can be found in Cuba (where it is called the 8 grams (0. For other uses of the words gram or gramme see Gram (disambiguation. 06 ounces) and measuring about 5 cm (2 inches). A typical North American hummingbird, such as the Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus), weighs approximately 3 g (0. The Rufous Hummingbird ( Selasphorus rufus) is a small Hummingbird, about 8 cm long with a long straight and very slender bill 106 ounces) and has a length of 10–12 cm (3. 5–4 inches). The largest hummingbird is the Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas), with some weighing as much as 24 grams (0. The Giant Hummingbird ( Patagona gigas) is the largest member of the Hummingbird family weighing 18-20 g (6/10 - 7/10 of an ounce 85 ounces) and measuring 21. 5 cm (8. 5 inches).

Most species exhibit conspicuous sexual dimorphism, with males more brightly colored and females displaying more cryptic coloration. Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different Sex in the same Species. Camouflage is a method of cryptic or concealing coloration that allows an otherwise visible Organism ^[3] Iridescent plumage is present in both sexes of most species, with green being the most common color. Iridescence is an Optical phenomenon in which Hue changes with the angle from which a surface is viewed Highly modified structures within certain feathers, usually concentrated on the head and breast, produce intense metallic iridescence in a rainbow of colors. Iridescence is an Optical phenomenon in which Hue changes with the angle from which a surface is viewed

Feeding

Green Violet-ear at a flower.

Hummingbirds feed on the nectar of plants and are important pollinators, especially of deep-throated, tubular flowers. Nectar is a Sugar -rich liquid produced by plants It is produced either by the Flowers in which it attracts pollinating animals or by extrafloral A pollinator is the biotic agent ( vector) that moves Pollen from the male Anthers of a Flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish Like bees, they are able to assess the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat; they reject flower types that produce nectar which is less than 12% sugar and prefer those whose sugar content is around 25%. Nectar is a poor source of nutrients, so hummingbirds meet their needs for protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. A nutrient is food or chemicals that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl In Chemistry, an amino acid is a Molecule containing both Amine and Carboxyl Functional groups In Biochemistry, this A vitamin is an Organic compound required as a Nutrient in tiny amounts by an Organism. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition a highly ordered atomic structure and specific by preying on insects and spiders, especially when feeding young. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described Spiders are Predatory Invertebrate Animals that have two body segments, eight legs no chewing mouth parts and no wings

Most hummingbirds have bills that are long and straight or nearly so, but in some species the bill shape is adapted for specialized feeding. Thornbills have short, sharp bills adapted for feeding from flowers with short corollas and piercing the bases of longer ones. Acanthiza is a genus of passeriform birds mostly found in Australia but with one species ( A A petal (from Ancient Greek petalon "leaf" "thin plate" regarded as a highly modified leaf is one member or part of the corolla The Sicklebills' extremely decurved bills are adapted to extracting nectar from the curved corollas of flowers in the family Gesneriaceae. The genus Epimachus ( Cuvier, 1816 consist of four species birds of paradise with long decurved Sickle -like bill. Gesneriaceae is a family of Flowering plants consisting of ca The bill of the Fiery-tailed Awlbill has an upturned tip, as in the Avocets. UserPolbot. --> The Fiery-tailed Awlbill ( Avocettula recurvirostris) is a species of Hummingbird The four species of Avocets are Waders in the same Avian family as the Stilts They are found in warm or hot climates The male Tooth-billed Hummingbird has barracuda-like spikes at the tip of its long, straight bill. UserPolbot. -->The Tooth-billed Hummingbird ( Androdon aequatorialis) is a species of Bird from the family

The two halves of a hummingbird's bill have a pronounced overlap, with the lower half (mandible) fitting tightly inside the upper half (maxilla). The mandible (from Latin mandibula, "jawbone" or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower Jaw and holds the lower teeth in place This article is about the Mammal maxilla For Arthropod maxillae see Mouthparts; for Insect maxillae in particular see Insect mouthparts When hummingbirds feed on nectar, the bill is usually only opened slightly, allowing the tongue to dart out and into the interior of flowers.

Hummingbirds do not spend all day flying, as the energy costs of this would be prohibitive; the majority of their activity consists simply of sitting or perching. Hummingbirds feed in many small meals, consuming many small invertebrates and up to five times their own body weight in nectar each day. They spend an average of 10-15% of their time feeding and 75-80% sitting and digesting.

Co-evolution with ornithophilous flowers

Hummingbirds are specialized nectarivores (Stiles, 1981) and are tied to the ornithophilous flowers they feed upon. In Zoology, a nectarivore is an animal which eats the sugar-rich Nectar produced by Flowering plants Biologists that study Plant morphology use a number of different terms to describe plant organs and parts that can be observed with the human eye using no more than a hand held magnifying Some species, especially those with unusual bill shapes such as the Sword-billed Hummingbird and the sicklebills, are coevolved with a small number of flower species. For the orthopteran suborder Ensifera commonly known as crickets see: Ensifera Sword-billed Hummingbird ( Ensifera ensifera The genus Epimachus ( Cuvier, 1816 consist of four species birds of paradise with long decurved Sickle -like bill. In a broad sense biological co-evolution is "the change of a biological object triggered by the change of a related object"

Many plants pollinated by hummingbirds produce flowers in shades of red, orange, and bright pink, though the birds will take nectar from flowers of many colors. Red is any of a number of similar Colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of Light discernible by the human eye in the wavelength The colour orange occurs Pink is a pale Red Color that was first recorded in the 17th century to describe the pale red Flowers of pinks, Flowering plants Hummingbirds can see wavelengths into the near-ultraviolet, but their flowers do not reflect these wavelengths as many insect-pollinated flowers do. In Physics wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a propagating Wave of a given Frequency. Ultraviolet ( UV) light is Electromagnetic radiation with a Wavelength shorter than that of Visible light, but longer than X-rays This narrow color spectrum may render hummingbird-pollinated flowers relatively inconspicuous to most insects, thereby reducing nectar robbing. Nectar robbing refers to an Insect (or other visitor such as a bird visiting a Flowering plant and removing Nectar without pollinating the ^{[4] [5]} Hummingbird-pollinated flowers also produce relatively weak nectar (averaging 25% sugars w/w) containing high concentrations of sucrose, whereas insect-pollinated flowers typically produce more concentrated nectars dominated by fructose and glucose. Nectar is a Sugar -rich liquid produced by plants It is produced either by the Flowers in which it attracts pollinating animals or by extrafloral Solubility of Pure SucroseTemperature(Cg Fructose (also levulose or laevulose) is a simple reducing Sugar ( Monosaccharide) found in many foods and is one of the three Glucose (Glc a Monosaccharide (or simple Sugar) also known as grape sugar, is an important Carbohydrate in Biology. ^[6]

Aerodynamics of flight

A trail of wake vortices generated by a hummingbird's flight. V erification of the O rigins of R otation in T ornadoes Ex periment or VORTEX, is a field project that seeks to understand how a Discovered after training a bird to fly through a cloud of neutrally buoyant helium-filled soap bubbles and recording airflows in the wake with stereo photography. Stereoscopy, stereoscopic imaging or 3-D (three-dimensional imaging is any technique capable of recording three-dimensional visual ^[7]

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird

Hummingbird flight has been studied intensively from an aerodynamic perspective using wind tunnels and high-speed video cameras. The Black-chinned Hummingbird ( Archilochus alexandri) is a small Hummingbird. A video camera is a Camera used for electronic Motion picture acquisition initially developed by the Television industry but now common in other applications

Writing in Nature, the biomechanist Douglas Warrick and coworkers studied the Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus, in a wind tunnel using particle image velocimetry techniques and investigated the lift generated on the bird's upstroke and downstroke. Nature is a prominent Scientific journal, first published on 4 November 1869 Biophysics (also biological physics) is an Interdisciplinary Science that employs and develops theories and methods of the Physical sciences for Douglas Warrick, PhD, is an assistant Professor in Biophysics at the Zoology department of Oregon State University, working in The Rufous Hummingbird ( Selasphorus rufus) is a small Hummingbird, about 8 cm long with a long straight and very slender bill A wind tunnel is a research tool developed to assist with studying the effects of air moving over or around solid objects Particle image velocimetry ( PIV) is an optical method used to measure velocities and related properties in Fluids The fluid is Seeded with

They concluded that their subjects produced 75% of their weight support during the down-stroke and 25% during the up-stroke: many earlier studies had assumed (implicitly or explicitly) that lift was generated equally during the two phases of the wingbeat cycle, as is the case of insects of a similar size. In the context of a Fluid flow relative to a body the lift force is the component of the Aerodynamic force that is Perpendicular to the flow This finding shows that hummingbirds' hovering is similar to, but distinct from, that of hovering insects such as the hawk moths. For a complete species list of this family see the Sphingidae species list. ^[8]

The Giant Hummingbird's wings beat at 8–10 beats per second, the wings of medium-sized hummingbirds beat about 20–25 beats per second and the smallest beat 70 beats per second.

Metabolism

Anna's Hummingbird, Calypte anna performs personal grooming

With the exception of insects, hummingbirds while in flight have the highest metabolism of all animals, a necessity in order to support the rapid beating of their wings. The Anna's Hummingbird ( Calypte anna) is a medium-sized Hummingbird. Personal grooming (also called titivating) is the art of cleaning grooming and maintaining parts of the body Metabolism is the set of Chemical reactions that occur in living Organisms in order to maintain Life. Their heart rate can reach as high as 1,260 beats per minute, a rate once measured in a Blue-throated Hummingbird [1]. Measuring heart rate The Pulse rate (which in most people is identical to the heart rate can be measured at any point on the body where an Artery 's pulsation The Blue-Throated Hummingbird, Lampornis clemenciae, is a species of Hummingbird, a member of the Trochilidae family of Birds The Blue-throated They also typically consume more than their own weight in nectar each day, and to do so they must visit hundreds of flowers daily. At any given moment, they are only hours away from starving.

Hummingbirds are capable of slowing down their metabolism at night, or any other time food is not readily available. They enter a hibernation-like state known as torpor. For the ability of certain operating systems see Hibernate (OS feature Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression Torpor is a (usually short-term state of decreased physiological activity in an animal usually characterized by a reduced body temperature and rate of metabolism During torpor, the heart rate and rate of breathing are both slowed dramatically (the heart rate to roughly 50–180 beats per minute), reducing the need for food. Most organisms with very rapid metabolisms have short life-spans; hummingbirds, however have been known to survive in captivity for as long as 17 years{{Fact|date=June 2008}].

The dynamic range of metabolic rates in hummingbirds (Suarez and Gass 2002) requires a corresponding dynamic range in kidney function (Bakken et al. 2004). The glomerulus is a cluster of capillaries in the nephrons of the kidney which removes certain substances from the blood, or a filtration mechanism. The rate at which food is metabolized is called the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Most often these fluids are reabsorbed by the kidney. During torpor, to prevent dehydration, the GFR slows, preserving necessities for the body such as glucose, water and salts. GFR also slows when a bird is undergoing water deprivation. The interruption of GFR is a survival and physiological mechanism unique to hummingbirds (Bakken et al 2004).

Studies of hummingbirds' metabolisms are highly relevant to the question of why a migrating Ruby-throated Hummingbird can cross 800 km (500 miles) of the Gulf of Mexico on a nonstop flight, as field observations suggest it does. Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of Birds Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability The Ruby-throated Hummingbird ( Archilochus colubris) is a small Hummingbird. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world This hummingbird, like other birds preparing to migrate, stores up fat to serve as fuel, thereby augmenting its weight by as much as 100 percent and hence increasing the bird's potential flying time. ^[9]

Range

Hummingbirds are found only in the Americas, from southern Alaska and Canada to Tierra del Fuego, including the Caribbean. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Tierra del Fuego ( Spanish for " Land of Fire " in English tiˈɛərə dɛl ˈfweɪgoʊ] Spanish ˈtjerað̞elˈfweɰo is an Archipelago The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The majority of species occur in tropical Central and South America, but several species also breed in temperate areas. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Only the migratory Ruby-throated Hummingbird breeds in continental North America east of the Mississippi River and Great Lakes. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird ( Archilochus colubris) is a small Hummingbird. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The Black-chinned Hummingbird, its close relative and another migrant, is the most widespread and common species in the western United States, while the Rufous Hummingbird is the most widespread species in western Canada. The Black-chinned Hummingbird ( Archilochus alexandri) is a small Hummingbird. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Rufous Hummingbird ( Selasphorus rufus) is a small Hummingbird, about 8 cm long with a long straight and very slender bill Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page ^[10]

Most hummingbirds of the U. S. and Canada migrate south in fall to spend the northern winter in Mexico or Central America. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. A few southern South American species also move to the tropics in the southern winter. A few species are year-round residents in the warmer coastal and interior desert regions. Among these is Anna's Hummingbird, a common resident from southern California inland to southern Arizona and north to southwestern British Columbia. The Anna's Hummingbird ( Calypte anna) is a medium-sized Hummingbird. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C

The Rufous Hummingbird is one of several species that breed in western North America and are wintering in increasing numbers in the southeastern United States, rather than in tropical Mexico. Thanks in part to artificial feeders and winter-blooming gardens, hummingbirds formerly considered doomed by faulty navigational instincts are surviving northern winters and even returning to the same gardens year after year. Individuals that survive winters in the north, however, may have altered internal navigation instincts that could be passed on to their offspring. The Rufous Hummingbird nests farther north than any other species and must tolerate temperatures below freezing on its breeding grounds. This cold hardiness enables it to survive temperatures well below freezing, provided that adequate shelter and feeders are available.

Reproduction

Hummingbird nest with two chicks in Santa Monica, California

Calliope Hummingbird feeding two chicks in Grand Teton National Park

As far as is known, male hummingbirds do not take part in nesting. Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. Most species make a cup-shaped nest on the branch of a tree or shrub. Two white eggs are laid which, despite being the smallest of all bird eggs, are in fact large relative to the hummingbird's adult size. Incubation typically lasts 12–19 days. Incubation is the process by which Birds hatch their eggs, and to the development of the Embryo within the egg The nest varies in size relative to species, from smaller than half of a walnut shell to several centimeters in diameter. Walnuts (genus Juglans) are Plants in the family Juglandaceae.

Systematics and evolution

Hummingbird feather

Traditionally, hummingbirds are placed in the order Apodiformes, which also contains the swifts, though some taxonomists have separated them into their own order, Trochiliformes. The swifts are a family Apodidae, of highly aerial Birds They are superficially similar to Swallows but are actually not closely related to those Hummingbirds are Birds in the family Trochilidae, and are endemic to the Americas. Hummingbirds' wings are hollow and fragile, making fossilization difficult and leaving their evolutionary history a mystery. Some scientists believe that the hummingbird evolved relatively recently. Scientists also theorize that hummingbirds originated in South America, where there is the greatest species diversity; Brazil, Peru and Ecuador contain over half of the known species. The ancestors of extant hummingbirds may have lived in parts of Europe to what is southern Russia today. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

There are between 325 and 340 species of hummingbird, depending on taxonomic viewpoint, historically divided into two subfamilies, the hermits (subfamily Phaethornithinae, 34 species in six genera), and the typical hummingbirds (subfamily Trochilinae, all the others). The Hermits are Tropical and Subtropical Hummingbirds in the subfamily Phaethornithinae, comprising 30–40 species in six genera The Hermits are Tropical and Subtropical Hummingbirds in the subfamily Phaethornithinae, comprising 30–40 species in six genera Trochilinae is a Subfamily of the hummingbird family ( Trochilidae) However, recent phylogenetic analyses by McGuire et al. (2007) suggest that this division is slightly inaccurate, and that there are nine major clades of hummingbirds: the Topazes, the Hermits, the Mangoes, the Coquettes, the Brilliants, the Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas), the Mountain Gems, the Bees, and the Emeralds. The Giant Hummingbird ( Patagona gigas) is the largest member of the Hummingbird family weighing 18-20 g (6/10 - 7/10 of an ounce The Topazes (Topaza pella and Florisuga mellivora) have the oldest split with the rest of the hummingbirds. UserPolbot. -->The Crimson Topaz ( Topaza pella) is a species of Hummingbird in the Trochilidae The White-necked Jacobin ( Florisuga mellivora) is a large and attractive Hummingbird that ranges from Mexico south to Peru, Bolivia

Fossil hummingbirds are known from the Pleistocene of Brazil and the Bahamas—though neither has yet been scientifically described—and there are fossils and subfossils of a few extant species known; until recently, older fossils had not been securely identifiable as hummingbirds. The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent sovereign English -speaking country consisting of two thousand Cays and

In 2004, Dr. Gerald Mayr of the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt am Main identified two 30-million-year-old hummingbird fossils and published his results in Nature. The Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt is the largest museum of natural history in Germany. Nature is a prominent Scientific journal, first published on 4 November 1869 ^[11] The fossils of this primitive hummingbird species, named Eurotrochilus inexpectatus ("unexpected European hummingbird"), had been sitting in a museum drawer in Stuttgart; they had been unearthed in a clay pit at Wiesloch-Frauenweiler, south of Heidelberg, Germany and, because it was assumed that hummingbirds never occurred outside the Americas, were not recognized to be hummingbirds until Mayr took a closer look at them. Eurotrochilus is an Extinct Genus of primitive 30-million-year-old Hummingbird (E Stuttgart (ˈʃtʊtgaɐ̯t is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Wiesloch is a City in Germany, in northern Baden-Württemberg. Heidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. As of 2006 over 140000 people live within the city's area Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Fossils of birds not clearly assignable to either hummingbirds or a related, extinct family, the Jungornithidae, have been found at the Messel pit and in the Caucasus, dating from 40–35 mya; this indicates that the split between these two lineages indeed occurred at that date. The Messel Pit is a disused Quarry near the village of Messel, about 35 km southeast of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East In Astronomy, Geology, and Paleontology, mya or " mya " is an abbreviation for "million years ago". The areas where these early fossils have been found had a climate quite similar to the northern Caribbean or southernmost China during that time. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The biggest remaining mystery at the present time is what happened to hummingbirds in the roughly 25 million years between the primitive Eurotrochilus and the modern fossils. The astounding morphological adaptations, the decrease in size, and the dispersal to the Americas and extinction in Eurasia all occurred during this timespan. DNA-DNA hybridization results ^[12] suggest that the main radiation of South American hummingbirds at least partly took place in the Miocene, some 12–13 mya, during the uplifting of the northern Andes. DNA-DNA hybridization generally refers to a Molecular biology technique that measures the degree of genetic similarity between pools of DNA sequences The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23 The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America.

Lists of species and genera

• Alphabetical list, sortable by common or binomial name
• List of hummingbirds in taxonomic order

Hummingbirds and humans

Their relatively small size, brilliant colors, fearless personalities, and remarkable mode of flight have won hummingbirds nearly universal admiration from humans. This is a complete list of Hummingbirds in alphabetical order sortable by common or binomial name This is a list of Hummingbird genera in Taxonomic order. List of hummingbirds has a complete species list sortable by common and binomial name They do not harm crops or livestock, make loud noises, foul cars or buildings with their droppings, or bite when handled, making them among the most benign of all birds.

Hummingbirds have not always benefited from this admiration. Their beauty and novelty made them popular with commercial and scientific collectors in the 19th century; many fashionable parlors were decorated with glass cases containing preserved specimens of hummingbirds and other colorful tropical species. Their demanding dietary requirements and high metabolism kept them from becoming popular as pets, though many have been imported into Europe and the United States for zoos and private aviaries.

Habitat destruction and climate change are the most pervasive threats to all hummingbirds, but other human-related causes of hummingbird mortality include pesticide poisoning; collisions with windows, cars, utility lines, and transmission towers; predation by domestic cats; electrocution on electric fences; and entanglement in the hooked spines of burdock, an alien weed. Burdock is any of a group of biennial Thistles in the Genus Arctium, family Asteraceae

Hummingbirds sometimes fly into buildings, especially garages, possibly while investigating brightly colored objects such as flower arrangements, floral draperies, and emergency release handles for automatic garage doors. A residential garage is part of a home or an associated building designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles Once inside, they may be unable to escape because their natural instinct when threatened or trapped is to fly upward. Instinct is the inherent disposition of a living Organism toward a particular Behavior. This is a life-threatening situation for hummingbirds, as they can become exhausted and die in a relatively short period of time, possibly as little as an hour. It is usually difficult to catch a trapped hummingbird until it is exhausted, and handling such small birds requires extreme delicacy of touch. Sometimes a trapped hummingbird will land on a broom or a long branch if it is moved very carefully into a position near the bird. Once relaxed on the perch, the bird may remain long enough to allow itself to be carried outside to safety. A more time-consuming but less traumatic alternative is to place a feeder near where the trapped bird is flying or perching, waiting until it begins using the feeder, then moving the feeder a few feet at a time toward an open door or window. Once the feeder is hanging in the opening, the bird should notice the escape route on its own.

Hummingbird Gardens

The diet of hummingbirds requires an energy source — typically nectar — and a protein source — typically small insects. Nectar is a Sugar -rich liquid produced by plants It is produced either by the Flowers in which it attracts pollinating animals or by extrafloral Providing suitable nectar-producing plants in a pesticide-free garden is the safest and most convenient way to provide both the energy and other nutrition that hummingbirds need.

Hummingbirds may visit almost any colorful garden flower in search of nectar, but not all flowers produce the amount or type of nectar that they prefer. A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also Commonly cultivated ornamental plants that make excellent additions to hummingbird gardens include:

• scarlet bee balm
• cardinal flower or scarlet lobelia
• wild (species-type) cannas
• coral or trumpet honeysuckle
• orange or western trumpet honeysuckle
• red columbines
• red morning glories such as cypress vine
• red and bright pink salvias such as tropical sage, [[Salvia coccinea|Texas or and Gregg or autumn sage
• deep blue anise-scented sage
• orange- and pink-flowered "hummingbird mints" in the genus Agastache
• red and bright pink penstemons
• chuparosa
• torch lily or red-hot poker
• fuchsias
• tropical verbenas such as the porterweeds
• "shrimp plants" such as Justicia brandegeeana and Pachystachys lutea
• aloes
• Turk's-cap or "sleeping hibiscus" (Malvaviscus spp. Monarda didyma ( Bergamot, Scarlet Beebalm, Scarlet Monarda, Oswego Tea, or Crimson Beebalm) is an aromatic Lobelia cardinalis ( Cardinal Flower) is a species of Lobelia native to the Americas, from southeastern Canada Canna (or Canna lily, although not a true Lily) is a Genus of approximately twenty Species of Flowering plants Lonicera sempervirens ( Trumpet Honeysuckle) is a species of Honeysuckle native to the eastern United States. Lonicera ciliosa ( Orange Honeysuckle or Western Trumpet Honeysuckle) is a Honeysuckle native to forests of western North America. Aquilegia ( columbine) is a Genus of about 60-70 species of Herbaceous Perennial plants that are found in Meadows Woodlands Ipomoea quamoclit ( Cardinal Creeper or Hummingbird Vine or Star Glory) is a species of morning glory native to tropical regions Salvia is a Genus of plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is one of three genera commonly referred to as sage. Salvia splendens ( Scarlet Sage or Tropical Sage) is a species of sage native to Brazil. Salvia greggii, commonly known as Autumn Sage, is a species of sage (genus Salvia) native to Texas and Mexico. Salvia guaranitica ( Anise-scented sage or Hummingbird sage) is a species of sage native to South America, including Brazil Agastache, is a Genus of 9–12 species of perennial Herbs in the family Lamiaceae, native to eastern Asia (one species Penstemon ( Beard-tongue) is a large Genus of North American and East Asian plants traditionally placed in the Scrophulariaceae Justicia californica is a species of flowering shrub native to the deserts of southern California Arizona and northern Mexico Kniphofia uvaria is also known as Tritoma, Torch Lily or Red Hot Poker due to the shape and color of its Inflorescence. Fuchsia is a Genus of flowering Plants mostly Shrubs and can grow long shoots which were identified by Charles Plumier in the late-17th This article is about the plant of genus Verbena. For other plants called "verbenas" see below. Stachytarpheta is a Plant Genus in the verbena family ( Verbenaceae) Justicia brandegeeana ( Mexican Shrimp Plant or Shrimp Plant; Syn Pachystachys lutea, known by the common names Golden Shrimp Plant and Lollipop Plant, is a subtropical soft-stemmed evergreen shrub between 36 and Aloe, also written Aloë, is a Genus containing about four hundred Species of flowering succulent Plants Hibiscus, or rosemallow, is a large genus of about 200&ndash220 species of Flowering plants in the family Malvaceae (the mallow family Malvaviscus is a Genus of Shrubs in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to tropical America from Florida, Texas )
• "cigar plants" Cuphea ignea 'David Verity' and Cuphea micropetala
• Heliconias. Heliconia is a Genus of about 100 to 200 species of Flowering plants native to the tropical Americas and the Pacific Ocean islands

Large woody plants that attract hummingbirds include red buckeye, trumpet vine, coral trees (Erythrina), and ocotillo. Red Buckeye ( Aesculus pavia) is a small Deciduous tree or shrub native to the southern and eastern parts of the United States, found from Illinois The Trumpet vine or Trumpet creeper ( Campsis radicans) also known as "Cow itch vine" is a large and vigorous woody Vine of the family Erythrina is a genus of tropical and subtropical flowering trees in the Family Fabaceae and distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide The ocotillo ( Fouquieria splendens - also called the coachwhip, Jacob's staff, and the vine cactus) is a curious and unique

The location, climate, and growing season of the garden will determine the list of plants suitable for attracting hummingbirds. Ideally, the selection should include species and varieties that bloom throughout the season when hummingbirds are present. Placing the plants near windows, porches, or patios affords a good view of the birds. Where space is limited, smaller plant species can be grown in pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets.

Feeders and artificial nectar

Hummingbirds will also take sugar water from artificial feeders. A birdfeeder, bird feeder, or bird table is a device placed out-of-doors to supply Bird food to Birds The success of a bird feeder in attracting Such feeders allow people to observe and enjoy hummingbirds up close while providing the birds with a reliable source of energy, especially when flower blossoms are less abundant.

Hummingbirds will either hover or perch to feed; red feeders are preferred, but colored liquid is not necessary and may be hazardous to their health.

Hummingbird hovering to feed at a red feeder with yellow "flowers"

Homemade "nectar" can be made by adding 1 part white, granulated table sugar to 4 parts water. During the pre migratory and post migratory periods in Spring and Fall the ratio may be enriched to 1 part sugar to 3 parts water to assist birds that are about to expend immense energy or have already lost bulk post migration. Brief boiling will dissolve the sugar more quickly and may slow spoilage of the solution. Once cooled, the nectar is ready to pour into a clean feeder.

Only white granulated sugar is proven safe to use in hummingbird feeders. Powdered sugars contain corn starch as an anti-caking agent; this additive can contribute to premature fermentation of the solution. Brown, turbinado, and "raw" sugars contain iron, which can be deadly to hummingbirds if consumed over long periods^[13]. Honey is made by bees from the nectar of flowers, but it contains sugars that are less palatable to hummingbirds and promotes the growth of microorganisms that may be dangerous to their health. Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the A microorganism (also spelled micro organism or micro-organism and also called a microbe) is an Organism that is Microscopic (usually ^{[14] [15]} Baker's or caster sugar is extra-fine granulated sugar and is safe to use; it dissolves more quickly than ordinary table sugar but is more expensive.

Other things to avoid using in feeders include artificial sweeteners and non-nutritive sweeteners such as saccharin (Sweet'N Low), aspartame (Equal), sucralose (Splenda), and stevia. Saccharin is an Artificial sweetener. The basic substance Benzoic sulfinide, has effectively no Food energy and is about 300 times as sweet as Aspartame (or APM) (ˈæspɚteɪm or /əˈspɑrteɪm/ is the name for an artificial non- Saccharide Sweetener, aspartyl-phenylalanine-1-methyl Sucralose is an artificial sweetener originally sold under the trade name Splenda, and now also supplied as SucraPlus. Stevia is a Genus of about 240 Species of herbs and Shrubs in the sunflower family ( Asteraceae) native to Subtropical Though hummingbirds might drink feeder solutions containing these sugar substitutes, they will be starved of the calories they need to sustain their metabolism. Red food dye is often added to homemade solutions, and commercial products sold as "instant nectar" or "hummingbird food" may also contain preservatives and/or artificial flavors as well as dyes. A preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods pharmaceuticals paints biological samples wood etc These additives have not been studied for long-term effects on hummingbirds, but studies on laboratory animals indicate the potential to cause disease and premature mortality at high consumption rates. ^[16]. While it is true that bright colors, especially red, initially attract hummingbirds more quickly than others, it is better to use a feeder that has extensive red on it, rather than coloring the liquid offered in it. Although some commercial products contain small amounts of nutritional additives, hummingbirds obtain all necessary nutrients from the insects they eat. This renders the added nutrients unnecessary. ^[17] Authorities on hummingbirds recommend that if you use a feeder, use just plain sugar and water. ^[18][19]

A hummingbird feeder should be easy to refill and clean. Prepared sugar water can be refrigerated for 1 week before being used, but once placed outdoors it will only remain fresh for 2–4 days in hot weather, or 4–6 days in moderate weather, before turning cloudy or developing mold. Sugar water may develop significant growth of yeasts and other microorganisms before turning cloudy, so feeders should be cleaned and refilled on a regular schedule even if there is no visible contamination. If the feeder is in a shady area, the solution will last longer without spoiling.

Maintaining cleanliness of the feeder is essential for the health of the birds. When changing the sugar water, the feeder should be rinsed thoroughly with warm tap water, flushing the reservoir and ports to remove any contamination or sugar build-up. If dish soap is used, it always needs extra rinsing so that no residue is left behind. The feeder can be soaked in diluted chlorine bleach if black specks of mold appear and rinsed well with clear water. The recommended ratio is 1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon of clean water.

Other animals are also attracted to hummingbird feeders. It is a good idea to use a feeder that has very narrow ports, or ports with mesh-like "bee guards", to prevent bees and wasps from getting to the sugar water or crawling inside where they may become trapped. Orioles, woodpeckers, bananaquits, and other animals are known to drink from hummingbird feeders, sometimes tipping them and draining the liquid. The genus Icterus is a group of Birds in the Icteridae family If this becomes a problem, it is possible to buy feeders which are specifically designed to support their extra weight. If ants find your hummingbird feeder, they can be discouraged by the use of an "ant moat", which is available at specialty garden stores and online. Sticky or greasy substances used to repel ants, including petroleum jelly and commercial insect barrier products ("Tree Tanglefoot"), must be used inside an ant moat — or a different, inaccessible location — to avoid potentially fatal contamination of the birds' plumage. ^[20]

Sometimes a large hummingbird drives its smaller brethren away from a feeder. An effective solution is to put out a second feeder that contains a slightly lower sugar concentration. Hummingbirds can detect a feeding source that is denser in sugar by even a small percentage, and the more aggressive bird will make that feeder its own. The smaller birds will flock to the remaining feeder.

In myth and culture

• The Aztec god Huitzilopochtli is often depicted as a hummingbird. Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. In Aztec mythology, Huitzilopochtli, also spelled Uitzilopochtli (Huitzilopōchtli wi The Nahuatl word huitzil (hummingbird) is an onomatopoeic word derived from the sounds of the hummingbird's wing-beats and zooming flight. Nahuatl ( is a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan or Nahuan branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family Onomatopoeia (also spelled onomatopœia, from Greek: ονοματοποιΐα is a Word or a grouping of words that imitates the sound it is describing

Aerial photograph of hummingbird image at Nazca in Peru

• One of the Nazca Lines, displayed at right, depicts a hummingbird. The Nazca lines are a series of Geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert, a high arid plateau that stretches more than 80 km (50 miles between the towns of Nazca Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Nazca lines are a series of Geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert, a high arid plateau that stretches more than 80 km (50 miles between the towns of Nazca
• The Ohlone tells the story of how Hummingbird brought fire to the world. The Ohlone people also known as the Costanoan and as the Muwekma, are the indigenous people of Northern California who have lived in the See article at the National Parks Conservation Association's website for a recounting. The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA is the only independent membership organization devoted exclusively to advocacy on behalf of the National Parks System
• Trinidad and Tobago is known as "The land of the hummingbird," and a hummingbird can be seen on that nation's coat of arms and 1-cent coin as well as its national airline, "Caribbean Airlines". The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people Caribbean Airlines is the national airline of Trinidad and Tobago, with its main hub at the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad.

See also

• Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
• Hemaris, another genus of sphinx moths confused with hummingbirds
• Bird feeder, for information about hummingbird feeders. The Hummingbird Hawk-moth ( Macroglossum stellatarum) is a species of hawk moth with a long Proboscis, and regularly hovers making an audible humming noise Hemaris is a Holarctic genus of Moths in the Sphingidae family consisting of about 17 species four of which fly in North and South America A birdfeeder, bird feeder, or bird table is a device placed out-of-doors to supply Bird food to Birds The success of a bird feeder in attracting

References

Bakken, B. H. , McWhorter, T. J. , Tsahar, E. , Martinez del Rio, C. (2004). Hummingbirds arrest their kidneys at night: diel variation in glomerular filtration rate in Selasphorus platycercus. The Journal of Experimental Biology. 207: 4383-4391.

• del Hoyo, J. ; Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors) (1999): Handbook of Birds of the World, Volume 5: Barn-owls to Hummingbirds. HBW_-_Taxonomygif|right|frame|(400 × 258 pixels file size38KBMIME typeimage/gif|HBW-Page on Taxonomy]]HBW-accounts_8-082-083_copia Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-25-3

• Gerwin, John A. & Zink, Robert M. (1998): Phylogenetic patterns in the Trochilidae. Auk 115(1): 105-118. The Auk is a quarterly Journal and the official publication of the American Ornithologists' Union, having been continuously published by that body since fulltextPDF (936 KiB)

• McGuire, J. A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International A. , Witt, C. C. , Altshuler, D. L. , and Remsen Jr. , J. V. 2007. Phylogenetic systematics and biogography of hummingbirds: Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses of partitioned data and selection of an appropriate partitioning strategy. Systematic Biology, 56: 837-856.

• Meyer de Schauensee, Rodolphe (1970): A Guide to Birds of South America. Livingston, Wynnewood, PA.

• Stiles, Gary. 1981. Geographical Aspects of Bird Flower Coevolution, with Particular Reference to Central America. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 68:323-351.

Suarez, R. K. , Gass, C. L. (2002). Hummingbirs foraging and the relation between bioenergetics and behavior. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A. 133: 335-343.

• Williamson, S. 2000. Attracting and Feeding Hummingbirds. (Wild Birds Series) T. F. H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. ISBN 0-7938-3580-1

• Williamson, S. L. 2002. A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America (Peterson Field Guide Series). Houghton Mifflin Co. , Boston. ISBN 0-618-02496-4

Gallery

Magnificent Hummingbird—Guadalupe, Panama	A male Costa's Hummingbird, showing its plumage to good effect	Male Green Violet-ear	A hovering Rufous Hummingbird on Saltspring Island
The size of a hummingbird	hummingbird among flowers	hummingbird among flowers	hummingbird among flowers
two males fighting	Hummingbird among Crocosmia		Grooming
Hummingbird is attacking a bigger bird	Hummingbird and honey bee to compare the sizes	Hummingbird at Crocosmia	A Texas Hummingbird PhotoCredit Everafterimages.com

External links

• The Official Hummingbird Forum
• Hummingbirds.net
• Journey North: Hummingbirds
• The Hummingbird Society
• Ruby Throat Hummingbird Project
• Ecuador Hummingbirds and Climate Change
• Hummingbird species