Hummingbird : A Small and Beautiful Bird Ever

This pictures was taken by me when was having a long weekend vacation in my beloved village, Tangse. When I woke up in the early morning, I saw a small packet like straw on the clothesline. When I keep close it, suddenly a hummingbird flew inside that looked intact and nice.

(Hummingbird nest)

Hummingbirds are birds from the Americas that constitute the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring 7.5–13 cm (3–5 in) in length. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5 cm bee hummingbird weighing less than 2.0 gram. In my village, beautiful bird called as Cicem Jantong as Acehnese and Kolibri as Indonesian. Source : Wikipedia

Hummingbirds are small, colorful birds with iridescent feathers. Their name comes from the fact that they flap their wings so fast (about 80 times per second) that they make a humming noise. Hummingbirds can fly right, left, up, down, backwards, and even upside down. They are also able to hover by flapping their wings in a figure-8 pattern. They have a specialized long and tapered bill that is used to obtain nectar from the center of long, tubular flowers. The hummingbird’s feet are used for perching only, and are not used for hopping or walking.

Hummingbirds primarily eat flower nectar, tree sap, insects and pollen. The hummingbird’s fast breathing rate, fast heartbeat and high body temperature require that they eat often. They also require an enormous amount of food each day. Hummingbirds have a long tongue which they use to lick their food at a rate of up to 13 licks per second.
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POPULATION**
It is difficult to estimate population numbers since there are many different species spanning a large geographic area.

RANGE
Hummingbirds are found only in the Western Hemisphere, from southeastern Alaska to southern Chile, although most live in the tropics. There are more than 300 species of hummingbirds, 12 of which summer in North America and winter in tropical areas.

BEHAVIOR
Like other birds, hummingbirds communicate via visual displays. Hummingbirds are very territorial and have been observed chasing each other and even larger birds such as hawks away from their territories.

Reproduction
Gestation: 13-22 days.
Clutch size: Between 1-3 eggs.
The young start to fly in 18 to 30 days.

THREATS
Historically hummingbirds were killed for their feathers, today they face different but equally devastating threats.

Habitat loss and destruction are the hummingbird’s main threats. As hummingbirds are often specially adapted to each unique habitat, each species of hummingbird currently listed as vulnerable or endangered on the IUCN red list are all threatened due to habitat destruction and loss.
The earth's changing temperatures due to climate change are affecting hummingbird migratory patterns, causing different species to be spotted in locations well outside their normal range, where it may be harder for them to find food. Source : defender.org