Development & Aid, Environment, Tierramerica

Delicate Avis

Feb 24 2001 (IPS) - The hummingbird is known by several names in the Western Hemisphere: colibrí, picaflor, and beijaflor, but its scientific name is Trochilidae, and it is a wonder of nature in the Americas.

When the first Europeans arrived in the New World, these tiny birds amazed them. At first they confused them with giant insects, because of their buzzing of wings and their dedication to flowers, which provide their sustenance.

These tiny wonders captivate the human imagination, leading people to come up with ways to attract the birds to artificial nectar feeders to get a closer look at them. In the United States, it is illegal to keep hummingbirds as a pet.

The Trochilidae family is exclusive to the Americas, and its members can be found from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, with 328 different species recorded.

At websites dedicated to this bird, we find that the largest weighs 20 grams and lives in South America, while the smallest is just 2.2 grams, and is native to Cuba. One of the most interesting hummingbird cases is that of the Chilean island of Juan Fernández, which has its own unique species that is not found outside this island 600 km from the coast.

The flight of the hummingbird is awe-inspiring. The beating of the wings is so fast that it is nearly impossible to see the single movement. They can fly at high speeds, but also carry out such feats as flying in place and backwards.

These abilities mean that the hummingbird has an accelerated metabolism and must consume great quantities of energy. The bird must drink lots of water and feeds an average of 300 times a day. The human equivalent would be to eat 130 kilos of bread and drink 150 liters of water each day.

These “miniscule and sensitive birds” play an important role in the ecosystem as well, contributing to the pollination of plants.