Flapping his wings at 12-90 times per second while practicing the art of levitation more effortlessly than David Copperfield, this little Hummingbird, the smallest of birds, was the star attraction in our photo shoot at Mt Griffith Park, LA. He was busily feasting on the nectar of some bright red flowers, which got us thinking, which essential oils do we have to thank him for?!
After our post Thank Butterfly for Chamomile, where we captured a Monarch Butterfly feasting on rosemary at the amazing Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, we didn’t expect to be presented with another spontaneous photo shoot so soon, but lo and behold, this fellow has obviously been in LA long enough to have practiced his acting skills.
Hummingbirds are the only birds who are able to fly backwards and can fly as fast as 54 km/hr. They are extremely fussy about the nectar they eat and reject anything with less than 10% sugar. They require 2-3 their body weight in food so supplement their nutritional intake with insects and spiders, especially when feeding their young.
Hummingbirds have very good eyes. They are attracted to red. In fact, red is by far their preferred color, but they also love yellow and pink, anything bright and vibrant. They have long bills and tongues, which they thrust deep into flowers to retrieve nectar. When they withdraw, their faces are covered with pollen. Flitting from flower to flower, they successfully pollinate the species they frequent. In this fashion they are actually accidental heroes; they come in search of nectar, not the pollen.
This is the gorgeous flower he was feasting on, notice the long tubular funnel and curved petals beckoning any cheeky Hummingbird to come and have a taste.
The most important species to the desert areas of North America is Rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus).
We’re not sure if it is a Rufous hummingbird that we captured with our amateur digital lense, but anyhow are pretty inspired to get a decent digital SLR as this wild life photography is awesome stuff! We sincerely wish we could have presented a sharper image but Aromamuse is still finding their photography feet.
He will eat every 10 mins (this must be one of 6 fast food snacks every hour), is very picky about his nectar and just luuurves bright red flowers. His heart beats 1,260 beats per minute, he visits hundreds upon hundreds of flowers daily and will go into hibernation at night to conserve his energy… for the span of his life which will be anything from 3-5 years on average.
Hummingbird-pollinated plants include honeysuckle, sage, fuchsia, jewelweed, fireweed, cardinal flower, bee balm, nasturtium, century plant, columbine, and red salvia. In North America, essential oils of Clary Sage Salvia Sclarea and Common Sage Salvea Officinalis owe their existence to this energetic, fussy eater.
The Hummingbird animal totem is a messenger of hope and jubilation.
Hummingbirds are signs of:
- energy
- vitality
- joy
- renewal
- sincerity
- healing
- persistence
- peace
- infinity
- agility
- playfulness
- loyalty
- affection
The existence of the Hummingbird is somewhat threatened by agricultural conversion and overgrazing. During the last 50 years, millions of hectares of desert and thornscrub vegetation in western Mexico and the southwestern U.S. have been converted to chemically-intensive agriculture or to pastures of exotic grasses. Non-native species have also taken over millions of acres, threatening their food supply.
Hopefully, though, this little bird with this very big personality & multitude of talents will be with us for many centuries to come.
How long does a Hummingbird live for and does it have a migration path? I followed one from San Diego to Mexico once (saw it fly across the border)..
Hummingbirds live, on average, between 3-5 years.
They will migrate north in the spring* and start to arrive in February in the Southern United States and as far north as Alaska in May. They will then migrate south to Mexico and Central America in the fall* starting in August through October.
They travel alone along the same flight paths, pretty similar to cars traveling along a motorway but with much larger gaps! This keeps them hidden from predators as they are too tiny to spot.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds fly zone is along the Eastern Coast of the United State along the Appalachian Mountains starting in February and as far south as Panama in the winter* starting in September. Some will travel over land to and from Central America while many others trek over the Gulf of Mexico.
The Black-Chinned Hummingbirds fly zone is from the Southern United States and Mexico through British Columbia. The spring* migration starts in March throughout the Southern United States reaching the North Western United States and British Columbia in May. They will start to leave British Columbia in September and return to Mexico by November.
The Calliope Hummingbirds will migrate in their fly zone in the spring* starting in March and arrive in British Columbia starting in late May. They will then turn around and start to head back to their winter* home in August.
The Broad-Tailed Hummingbird will arrive for spring* in the Arizona area in late march and arrive in the north-western states in May. They will start to migrate south* for winter* in late September or October.
The Rufous Hummingbird has a long fly-zone and will start in February and will travel along the west coast to British Columbia and Alaska by the end of April. They will travel in the fall* starting in August to reach their winter* destinations in southern and coastal California, along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida, and throughout Mexico.
Costa’s Hummingbirds have a shorter fly zone and will spend their summer* in Southern California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. They arrive starting in early February and start to head back to their winter* destination in May.
Allen’s Hummingbirds also has a shorter fly zone will winter* in Southern California and Mexico and summer* up the California Coast into Southern Oregon starting in February. They will head back to their winter* homes in July and August.
*Note: Northern Hemisphere time
Source: http://www.worldofhummingbirds.com/migration.php
I’ve been searching for this precise info on this topic for a while. Bookmarked and recommended!