A hummingbird is a bird that belongs to the trochilid family group. This is what is known as those birds characterized by their small size and their ability to suspend themselves in the air thanks to the rapid movement of their wings , which emits a typical hum.
Hummingbirds (or hummingbirds , as also accepted by the Royal Spanish Academy ), in this way, suspend themselves in the air to access the nectar of the flowers , which they drink thanks to their elongated beak. Because of this particularity, these animals are known as hummingbirds .
It should be noted that nectar is a sugary fluid generated by flowers through a gland called a nectary . The hummingbird, like other animals that feed on nectar, is classified as a nectivore or nectar-eater .
There are different species of these birds native to the American continent with bright and colorful feathers. The purple-eared hummingbird , whose scientific name is Colibri serrirostris , weighs about seven grams and measures twelve centimeters. It can be found in South American countries such as Brazil , Argentina , Paraguay and Bolivia .
The blue-eared hummingbird , scientific name Colibri thalassinus , is a little smaller. Its habitat is in the Andean region, Central America and Mexico , although in its migrations it can reach Canada .
The Colibri delphinae or brown hummingbird is another species of hummingbird. In this case it is found in forests located at high altitudes, even more than 1,500 meters above sea level. The Colibri coruscans ( rutilant hummingbird ), for its part, is located in the north and west of South America .
Other interesting facts about the hummingbird are the following:
-In addition to those already mentioned, there are many other types of hummingbird such as the swallow, Alice's, Abeillé's, the blue-hooded diamondback, the striped hermit...
-For a long time, hummingbirds became a target for hunters since their feathers were highly valued when it came to decorating ladies' hats.
-Hummingbirds are considered the smallest birds in the world, since their size ranges between 5 and 10 centimeters. However, there is a variety that breaks that rule. We are referring to the giant hummingbird that can reach up to 25 centimeters.
-As a general rule, their life expectancy is 5 years.
-It is a sedentary bird.
-It is really complex to be able to differentiate a male and a female. Hence, in many cases, when necessary, it will be necessary to use a DNA test as a tool to discover it. Of course, certain particularities can be taken into consideration to differentiate them. Thus, the female is usually larger and may have darker feather colors.
-Orange or blue flowers are the ones that attract hummingbirds the most to feed on.
-In ancient times there were people who had hummingbirds and carried them with them everywhere since these animals were considered to be a kind of amulet. Specifically, they were believed to attract strength.