Introduction

Hummingbirds are part of the avian family Trochilidae, and there are currently about 360 recognized species. They have varying sizes and abilities. Many hummingbirds with bright, colorful feathers on their throat and chest (called a gorget) are actually male. Although sometimes female hummingbirds also display these shiny feathers, they are usually a duller color. Hummingbirds are very small, weighing anywhere from 2 to 20 grams (1). Notably, the hummingbird’s wings are rather small, ranging between 35 and 152 mm (~1.4 and 6 in) in wing length across species (2). But don’t let the size of their wings fool you! Although they are small, their wings flap around 20 to 80 times every second (3). This is why they can hover in midair and even fly backward, which no other bird can do. The flutter of their wings actually produces the “humming” that the birds are named for! 

With more than 300 hummingbird species in the world, it may be surprising that all these species are only found in the Western Hemisphere (4). They can be found anywhere from Alaska all the way down to Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost tip of South America. Like many birds and insects, hummingbirds migrate to keep up with the seasons. There are about 26 species that migrate to the US for part of the year while about 17 of them breed here (4). The hummingbirds’ migratory path depends on the species, but those that breed in North America tend to overwinter in Mexico (5). Journeys down south can follow the eastern and western coasts, span the length of the Rocky Mountains, and even cut through the Gulf of Mexico in an epic 18-22 hour flight. Once the winter ends, hummingbirds make their way back up north in sync with the blooms of the native plants (4). 

Cultural connections 

Hummingbirds are endemic to the western hemisphere, where they have been prominent figures in folklore and carry deep cultural significance. Many stories depict hummingbirds as heroes who are fast and smart, and are connected to nourishment and survival.  In the instance of the Hopi tribe, who have lived in what is now Arizona, the hummingbird saves two siblings and a village from drought and famine by finding  Mû’yingwa, the god of germination and growth, and convincing the god to return to earth, bringing rain and growth (6). In a Cherokee legend, the hummingbird also brings life in times of need when the tobacco plant is taken by Dagul’ku geese, who guard it away from all others. The hummingbird is the only successful animal in bringing back the plant to save a beloved elder (7). 

Hummingbirds are also connected to creation stories and strength. The Mbyá Guaraní, a South American nation, has a legend that talks about Ñamandú, the creator and First Father. In this story, Hummingbird feeds and sustains Ñamandú while he is in the process of creating everything (8). The Ohlone folk,who live along the coast of Northern California, tell a story where Hummingbird provides an answer as Coyote tries to figure out where to raise his children in order to repopulate the earth after a flood (9). The ancestors of the Nahua people, whose ancestral lands include modern Mexico, have a deity called Huitzilopochtli, the god of the sun and war, whose name means “Hummingbird of the South” or “Blue Hummingbird on the Left.” This most powerful god chose the unassuming hummingbird to represent him, since hummingbirds were deemed fierce and mighty warriors (10).

All throughout the Western Hemisphere, hummingbirds are seen as imperative to the health and existence of humanity. Whether they brought about creation, saved civilization in times of peril, or represented divine power, hummingbirds have played an important role in many cultures across the Americas, just as they play a valuable part in the ecosystems they inhabit.

Role in the food system

While hummingbirds go about their business looking for and finding food, they also pollinate many plants. Some of these plants are ones that humans use regularly as a source of food including fruits like blueberries and greens, vegetables, and grains. Other plants that are pollinated by hummingbirds such as bee balm, Cardinal flower, trumpet creeper, coneflower, honeysuckle, Columbine sage, anise hyssop, passionflower, and cockspur corals are used medicinally. Therefore, hummingbirds are crucial to humans and the environment because many of the plants mentioned here would have a harder time reproducing and thriving without the pollination services of these birds. In fact, about 8,000 plants in North, Central, and South America rely on hummingbirds for fertilization. 

So what makes hummingbirds such good pollinators? Part of this answer lies in the fact that hummingbirds can eat 4 to 8 times every hour. They do this while going from flower to flower, visiting dozens and sometimes even hundreds of flowers a day. And why do they eat so much? Well, hummingbirds need a lot of energy to keep up with their extremely high metabolism. It is so high that they are known to eat up to twice their body mass in nectar every day.

Threats 

There are three main threats to hummingbirds today including habitat loss, climate change, and invasive species (3). Many species in Central and South America are threatened by agricultural development, which destroys the habitat that they are often well-adapted to. Similarly, the balance that hummingbirds have maintained with their ecosystems is constantly threatened by climate change, due to changes in their habitat as well as temperature changes altering the nectar plants that determine their migration and breeding capabilities. Also bolstered by climate change, many non-native species that have not naturalized may increasingly threaten the ecosystems that hummingbirds operate in, even though some of these plants might attract the birds. Ultimately, the best ways to help hummingbirds involve planting and protecting habitat for the birds, as well as contributing to conservation and community science efforts.

Fun fact

Did you know that hummingbirds can enter a state of torpor while they sleep? During torpor, a hummingbird’s heart beat drops from up to 1,260 beats per minute to as low as 50 beats per minute to slow down its metabolism and conserve energy. For reference, a resting human heart beats 60 to 100 times per minute. Torpor is like hibernation but rather than months on end of low metabolic function and body temperatures, torpor only lasts about one night when temperatures or food circumstances are very low. 

SOURCES CITED

1. Migratory Bird Center, “Hummingbirds,” Archive, July 16, 2012. https://archive.ph/20120716064758/http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/webcam/hummingbirds.cfm 

2. Kruyt, Jan W. et al., “Hummingbird Wing Efficacy Depends on Aspect Ratio and Compares with Helicopter Rotors.” Journal of The Royal Society Interface 11, no. 99 (2014): 20140585. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2014.0585. 

3. Pollinator Partnership,  “Hummingbird Learning Center,” Pollinator Partnership, January 19, 2022. https://pollinator.org/learning-center/hummingbirds#species 

4. NPS, “Pollinators - Hummingbirds,” NPS, February 10, 2015. https://www.nps.gov/articles/hummingbirds.htm  

5. hummingbirds, “Hummingbird Migration Map 2022 Sightings,” Hummingbirds Plus, December 15, 2020. https://www.hummingbirdsplus.org/hummingbird-migration-map-2021/ 

6.  Zumel, Numa, “How Hummingbird Saved the Children: A Hopi Folktale,” Multo (Ghost), November 6, 2016. https://multoghost.wordpress.com/2016/11/06/how-hummingbird-saved-the-children-a-hopi-folktale/#more-2554

7. “Hummingbird Brings Back Tobacco: A Cherokee Legend.” First People, August 20, 2022. https://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/HummingbirdBringsBackTobacco-Cherokee.html

8. Zumel, Numa,  “The Primitive Customs of the Hummingbird,” Multo (Ghost), September 6, 2022. https://multoghost.wordpress.com/2016/09/06/the-primitive-customs-of-the-hummingbird/#more-2501

 9. Zumel, Numa,  “Eagle, Hummingbird and Coyote: An Ohlone Creation Myth,” Multo (Ghost), June 29, 2016. https://multoghost.wordpress.com/2016/06/29/eagle-hummingbird-and-coyote-an-ohlone-creation-myth/#more-2469

10. Radford, Lyra. “The Most Powerful Aztec God had the Hummingbird as his Spirit Animal,” Curious Historian, November 23, 2018. https://curioushistorian.com/the-most-powerful-aztec-god-had-the-hummingbird-as-his-spirit-animal