As the days get shorter and cooler, I thought about whether or not it might be time to take down my hummingbird feeder. In terms of timing, I know that some hummingbirds start migrating as early as mid-July and others wait until August or September. But I wonder if these energetic little birds have all left for the winter or if a few strays are still hanging around.<\/p>\n
It turns out that most hummingbirds are, in fact, migratory. There is even one species of hummingbird (hummingbird) that makes the longest migration of any bird on Earth, traveling from Alaska to Mexico! Most of them make their way to the sunny climates of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and even South America. However, there are some that do not. And if they don’t, they definitely need a place to stop and feed.<\/p>\n
Hummingbirds have the highest metabolic rate of any endothermic animal on Earth. The term endothermic refers to the fact that hummingbirds, like humans, must generate their own body heat to keep warm. While their high metabolism means they need a massive amount of calories to sustain themselves to live to fly another day. In addition to feeding on tree sap and nectar for calories, hummingbirds are omnivores and feed on insects and spiders that normally cannot survive the winter temperatures. The sweetened water we provide them with and the nectar of flowers they feed on is merely fuel for their adventures in hunting insects and spiders. Needless to say, flowers that produce life-giving nectar are also generally not available at lower temperatures.<\/p>\n
But times are changing! And our environment is changing as well! Climate change has brought about a change in the ecosystems. The mild temperatures in some areas allow flowers to bloom year-round and insects to reproduce year-round as well. Hummingbird feeders are also left out longer and throughout the year as well which contributes to the hummingbird’s food supply and ability to sustain itself.<\/p>\n
Finally, hummingbirds use hibernation to survive because they cannot see or feed at night. Similar to hibernation, torpor allows hummingbirds to slow their heart rate, conserve energy, and even lower their body temperature to match the surrounding air. It is said that hummingbirds can save 65 to 92% of their energy while hibernating and their heart rates can drop from over 1200 bpm to fifty bpm! Even by using hibernation, hummingbirds can lose about 10 percent of their body weight overnight, but it’s still an invaluable tool for their survival.<\/p>\n
Hummingbirds are amazing creatures and there is still a lot to learn about their migration patterns. I hope this glimpse into their extreme ability to survive even in extreme conditions fuels your interest in learning more about these adorable little wonders!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As the days get shorter and cooler, I thought about whether or not it might be time to take down my hummingbird feeder. In terms of timing, I know that some hummingbirds start migrating as early as mid-July and others wait until August or September. But I wonder if these energetic little birds have all …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":80,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-monarch-butterfly"],"yoast_head":"\n