Do Hummingbirds Hum?: Fascinating Answers to Questions About Hummingbirds (Animal Q&a Series)

215 Pages·2010·2.51 MB·English

by  George C. West

Do Hummingbirds Hum?
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Animal Q&A: Fascinating Answers to Questions about Animals
Animal Q&A books invite readers to explore the secret lives of
animals. Covering everything from their basic biology to their
complex behaviors at every stage of life to issues in conserva-
tion, these richly illustrated books provide detailed informa-
tion in an accessible style that brings to life the science and
natural history of a variety of species.
Do Butterfl ies Bite? Fascinating Answers to Questions about Butterfl ies
and Moths by Hazel Davies and Carol A. Butler
Do Bats Drink Blood? Fascinating Answers to Questions about Bats,
by Barbara A. Schmidt-French and Carol A. Butler
Why Do Bees Buzz? Fascinating Answers to Questions about Bees,
by Elizabeth Capaldi Evans and Carol A. Butler
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Do
Hummingbirds
Hum?
Fascinating Answers
to Questions about
Hummingbirds
George C. West
and Carol A. Butler
Rutgers University Press
NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, AND LONDON
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
West, George C.
Do hummingbirds hum? : fascinating answers to questions about hum-
mingbirds / George C. West and Carol A. Butler.
p. cm. — (Animal Q & A)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8135-4738-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Hummingbirds—Miscellanea. I. Butler, Carol A., 1943– II. Title.
QL696.A558W47 2010
′
598.764—dc22
2009049511
A British Cataloging-in-Publication record for this book is available
from the British Library.
Black-and-white illustrations and photographs are by George C. West, un-
less otherwise noted.
Copyright © 2010 by George C. West and Carol A. Butler
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Please
contact Rutgers University Press, 100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway,
NJ 08854–8099. The only exception to this prohibition is “fair use” as
defi ned by U.S. copyright law.
Visit our Web site: http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
Manufactured in the United States of America
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Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xv
ONE Hummingbird Basics 1
1 What is a hummingbird? 1
2 How do hummingbirds differ from other birds? 2
3 Where in the world are hummingbirds found? 3
4 When did hummingbirds evolve? 7
5 How are hummingbirds classifi ed? 12
6 What are the differences between typical or trochilid
hummingbirds and hermits? 13
7 How many species of hummingbirds are there in
the world? 14
8 How long do hummingbirds live? 15
9 Which are the smallest and largest hummingbirds? 16
TWO Systems and Senses 19
1 Are hummingbirds intelligent? 19
2 What do hummingbirds eat? 21
3 Why do hummingbirds need to eat so much? 26
4 How do hummingbirds know which fl owers
have nectar? 27
5 How do hummingbirds digest their food? 28
6 How do hummingbirds get rid of the water from all
that nectar they drink? 30
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vi CONTENTS
7 Why do hummingbirds have such long bills? 31
8 How can hummingbirds be so active? 33
9 Are hummingbirds warm blooded or cold blooded? 36
10 How fast does a hummingbird’s heart beat? 37
11 How do hummingbirds conserve energy? 37
12 Can hummingbirds walk? 39
13 Do hummingbirds have a good sense of smell? 39
14 Do hummingbirds hear well? 41
15 Do hummingbirds have good eyesight? 43
16 Do hummingbirds hum? 45
17 Do hummingbirds sing? 47
THREE Feathers and Bones 50
1 How fast does a hummingbird beat its wings? 50
2 How does a hummingbird hover? 52
3 How is the hummingbird’s skeleton adapted to the bird’s
life style? 55
4 How many feathers does a hummingbird have? 57
5 How do birds keep their feathers so smooth and the wing
feathers in perfect shape? 60
6 When do hummingbirds molt? 62
7 Are all hummingbirds brilliantly colored? 64
8 What are iridescent feathers? 66
9 If I fi nd a hummingbird feather, what can it tell me? 67
FOUR Reproduction 69
1 How does a hummingbird attract a mate? 69
2 How do hummingbirds protect their mating
territory? 71
3 Are hummingbirds monogamous? 73
4 How do hummingbirds reproduce? 74
5 Can hummingbirds of one species mate with those of
another species? 74
6 How big is a hummingbird’s egg? 75
7 How many young do hummingbirds have each year? 77
8 How long does it take for hummingbird eggs to hatch? 81
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CONTENTS vii
9 Do both hummingbird parents take care of the nest? 81
10 Why are hummingbird nests so hard to fi nd? 82
11 How does a hummingbird female feed herself while
incubating eggs? 82
12 How does a hummingbird female feed her nestlings and
what do they eat? 83
13 How quickly do hummingbirds mature? 84
14 Will young hummingbirds return to a nest after they’ve
left it? 86
FIVE Flight and Migration 87
1 How far can a hummingbird fl y? 87
2 How are hummingbirds able to fl y so far? 90
3 What tells a hummingbird when to migrate? 92
4 How do hummingbirds fi nd their way during
migration? 93
5 Do all hummingbirds migrate? 94
SIX Dangers and Defenses 97
1 What are the natural predators of hummingbirds? 97
2 How do hummingbirds defend themselves and their
food supply? 98
3 Do hummingbirds get sick? 99
4 Do hummingbirds get parasites? 102
5 How are fl ower mites dependent on hummingbirds? 103
6 What dangers do hummingbirds face in the
environment? 103
7 What dangers do hummingbirds face from people? 105
8 How can I get a hummingbird safely out of my house if it
has accidentally entered? 106
SEVEN Attracting and Feeding 108
1 Are hummingbirds friendly? 108
2 How can I attract hummingbirds to my garden
or feeder? 109
3 Will hummingbirds feed only from red fl owers? 110
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viii CONTENTS
4 What type of hummingbird feeder is best? 110
5 How do I make nectar to put in my hummingbird
feeder? 113
6 Where is the best place to hang my hummingbird
feeder? 114
7 How does a hummingbird fi nd my feeder? 115
8 How can I discourage insects and animals from visiting
my feeder? 115
9 Will my feeder interfere with hummingbirds’ natural
impulse to migrate? 119
10 Will a hummingbird return to my feeder the following
year? 119
EIGHT Identifying and Photographing 121
1 What is the best way to identify hummingbirds? 121
2 What features distinguish one hummingbird species
from another? 124
3 How can I tell a male from a female hummingbird? 125
4 Where are the best places to see hummingbirds in
the wild? 127
5 Why don’t people keep caged hummingbirds as pets? 127
6 Why are there so few hummingbird exhibits in zoos
and museums? 129
7 How can I photograph hummingbirds when they move
so fast? 133
NINE Research and Conservation 136
1 Are hummingbirds endangered? 136
2 Are hummingbirds valuable to the economy? 137
3 How do researchers capture hummingbirds
for study? 138
4 What is bird banding? 141
5 Why do researchers band hummingbirds? 142
6 How can I become qualifi ed to band hummingbirds? 145
7 What should I do if I see or rescue an injured
hummingbird? 146
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CONTENTS ix
8 What can I do to help support the conservation and
protection of hummingbird populations? 147
Appendices
A Garden Plants That Attract Hummingbirds 149
B Some Places to See Live Hummingbirds in Exhibits
or Gardens 153
C Hummingbird Organizations 159
D Recommended Reading and Web Sites 161
References 163
Index 179
A color insert follows page 94
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