Abstract
There are over 300 species of
hummingbirds that occur
throughout the Americas, but
most species inhabit tropical South
America. Belonging to the family
Trochilidae of the order Apodifolmes,
hummingbirds fascinate us with their
jewel-like beauty and their amazing
flight ability. Not only can they suspend
their bodies in midair and hover, they
can fly backward, upward, left, right,
and even upside down. Their unique
design allows the wings to move in
altnost any direction from the shoulder.
Soaring is the only flight capability that
they do not possess.
The humming sound that gave these
tiny birds their name is made by rapid
wing beats which can nUlnber from 50-
200 beats per second. Hummingbird
feet are deSigned only for perching.
They must fly even if they want to
move a few inches across a branch.
They lift off and rise straight upward by
flapping their wings at high speed.
They fly swiftly and can stop suddenly
for a precision landing. Hummingbirds
have an average life span of three to six
years but the record age is 12 years.
Housing the Sparkling
Violet-ear Hummingbird
Sparkling Violet -ear Hummingbirds
Colibri coruscans were released into the
Tropical Rain Forest Aviary at Butterfly
World in 1997. Foliage is plentiful with
nUInerous plants shrubs and trees
obtained fron1 the birds' native South
American region. At one end of the
aviary, misters are positioned around a
waterfall with dense foliage, simulating
the tropical rain forest hOlTIc of humn1ingbirds.
The waterfall feeds into a
sn1all pond and hrook that runs through
the aviary. The circular aviary is 100
feet across with a height starting at 12
feet and rising to 27 feet at the top of
the circular dome.
Feeding
For their size, humminghirds have
an10ng the largest appetites in the bird
world, feeding every 10 or 15 minutes
from dawn until dusk. Since the
aviary at Butterfly World wa ' originally
built for the survival of butterflies,
there is an -abundance of nectar-producing
plants available for the hummingbirds
to feed upon. Some of their
favorite plants for sipping nectar are
Firebush Hamelia patens, Pentas
Pentas lanceolata, Porterweed
Stachyta rph eta spp., Bubbleia
Buddleia davidii, and Firespike
Odontonema strictum.
Also provided for the over 20 individual
birds (within four species) are
43 feeders placed throughout the area.
These are changed twice a day and
filled with "Nektar-Plus," a special nectar
manufactured by Nekton. Although
the nectar is a complete diet with all
the required proteins, carbohydrates
and minerals, the hummers also are
provided an ample supply of fruit flies
(Drosophilia) .
Hummingbirds use their long needle-
like bills and special tongues to
reach nectar in deep tubular flowers.
The last half-inch of the long tongue is
divided into equal halves, each
grooved on the outer edge to form two
tube-like structures. Nectar is drawn
into the tongue like liquid is drawn up
a straw. Hummingbirds can lick up to
13 times per second, and their stomach
holds about five grams of mostly nectar
and a few insects.
Nesting
Generally speaking, the hummingbird
nest is a walnut-size structure of
plant down, lichens, and moss, bound
with spider webs or fine plant fiber '.
The female lays two eggs that each are
less than one-half inch long. After 14-
16 days of incubation and four weeks
of growing, young hummingbirds
leave the nest.
The Sparkling Violet-ears have built
many nests since their introduction into
the aviary at Butterfly World. They had
their first successful fledging in April,
1999. Nesting takes place fron1 midNovember
through April. The fen1ale is
more aggressive during this period
than at any other time. She will defend
her teITitory more forcefully than usual
and without fear of intruders.
The nesting sight is chosen very
carefully. The female hummingbird
will fly from branch to branch looking
for a spot that suits her. Obviously
there are a lot of things for her to consider
when choosing her nest site. The
nest is usually constructed 10 to 15 feet
high in a tree that overhangs a body of
water. She looks for a site with two or
three perching places within close
range of the nest to keep a close watch
while she is off the nest. It can take up
to three days for her to choose a nest
site that she likes.
Nest building takes from eight to 14
days. Sometimes the female will be
close to completing the construction
when she decides that she does not
like the location. She will then search
for another spot and reconstruct the
nest very rapidly. The construction
material is made up of string, hair, cotton,
moss, and any other small fibers
she can find. Spider webbing is also a
key material in the nest building. She
will use this sticky substance to hold
the materials of the nest together.
Small spiders are constantly placed in
the aviary to ensure that webbing is
always available.