HUMMINGBIRDS THE ACROBATS OF THE AIR! Power Point by Sydney

Introduction Scientific name of hummingbirds is Trochilidae It is the smallest bird in the world!!!! It is in the bird family

What hummingbirds look like  They have long, thin beaks  They are very bright and colorful like a parrot but Females are duller.  Their iridescent feathers look like scales!  They have small, notched tails.

More of What Hummingbirds Look Like Some can weigh one tenth of an ounce!! They can usually grow to be about 2-8 inches

Life-Span/ Is It Endangered?  It’s average life-span is about 5-10 years  Hummingbirds are NOT endangered because there are so many different kinds

Where It Lives Hummingbirds live in North America and South America from as high as Canada all the way down to Chile They can live in lots of different habitats such as: forests, tropical forests, deserts, gardens, and anywhere near flowers…even in cities.

Climate Where It Lives In tropical forests it is hot and wet In deserts it is very dry and hot. In forests there are a lot of trees. Any climate where there are flowers.

What It Eats And How They Get It  A hummingbird eats nectar and insects that are picked off of leaves, twigs, or caught in mid-air.  In winter birds called sap- suckers drill holes in trees and hummingbirds eat the sap.  It is a Herbivore

Prey And Predators  Hummingbirds are prey to: snakes, hunting birds, house cats, and house dogs.  They are Predator to: small insects

Behavior- How They Act  The mom stays with the babies until they can take care of themselves.  Some migrate to Northern Mexico and some travel to United States or Canada  When they mate male hummingbirds dance and make buzzing sounds to attract females.

The Babies The female makes the nest well camouflaged and comfortable so predators can’t find it. The first day one egg is laid. Two days later she lays another egg. Two or three weeks later one egg hatches. Two days later second egg hatches. The babies have no feathers and eyes shut and have huge heads.

Physical Adaptations  They have a long beak to suck nectar out of flowers  Female hummingbirds are very dull so predators won’t see the nest and eggs.  They are very small so they can hide in a lot of places.  Babies are dull so they won’t be caught and killed right after they were born.

Behavioral Adaptations  Wings can move up to eighty times a second so it can go fast to get away from predators.  When it sleeps if it runs out of energy it spreads out its wings and breathes slowly to save energy.  It migrates to Mexico or Canada in winter so that it doesn’t get too cold and freeze.

Physiological Adaptations  As a baby their muscles in their wings grow stronger so as an adult they can fly faster.  It turns food into energy faster than bigger animals so it doesn’t run out of energy.  They have special muscle fibers in their chest which help them stay strong and build endurance  Extra long hairs on the tongue which help it sip the nectar from flowers

Fun Facts!! Under their feathers they have tiny plates with air bubbles and when it hits them it makes a rainbow of colors When they are mating male hummingbirds make groups and sing to attract a mate. Hummingbirds got their name because when they fly really fast they make humming sounds. Some can fly upside- down and backwards!!