I am fascinated by this speedy tiny bird, the hummingbird. When the neck of the male hummingbirds changes into various bright plumage in the sun, it is even more amazing. Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas (from south central Alaska to Tierra del Fuego) and belong to the avian family Trochilidae. With about 366 species and 113 genera, most species are found in Central and South America. Hummingbirds are the smallest mature birds. They are known as hummingbirds because of the humming sound created by their beating wings. Humming serves communication purposes by alerting other birds of the arrival of a fellow forager or potential mate. The wing-flapping rates are from 12 beats to over 80 beats per second, supported by a high metabolic rate dependent on foraging for sugars from flower nectar. The sexes are different in feather coloration, with males having distinct brilliance and ornamentation of head, neck, wing, and breast feathers. Bright plumage colors in males are part of aggressive competition for flower resources and mating. Many hummingbird species exhibit a diverse vocal repertoire. Their nuclei enable vocal learning (ability to acquire vocalizations through imitation) is a rare trait known to occur in only two other groups of birds (parrots and songbirds) and a few groups of mammals (including humans, whales and dolphins, and bats). Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of all vertebrate animals. They can use newly ingested sugars to fuel hovering flight within 30–45 minutes of consumption. When food is scarce and they are fatigued, hummingbirds go into a hibernation-like state (also known as torpor) to conserve energy. Despite their small size, hummingbirds are one of the most aggressive bird species.
我對嬌小又神速飛舞的蜂鳥很著迷。當公鳥的頸項在陽光下變換出各種鮮艷的色彩，更是讓人嘆為觀止。蜂鳥是原產於美洲的鳥類，屬於蜂鳥科。大約有113屬366種，大多數物種分佈在中美洲和南美洲。蜂鳥是最小的鳥。它們被稱為蜂鳥，是因為它們在拍打翅膀所產生的嗡嗡聲。嗡嗡聲用來溝通以警戒其他鳥類覓食者或可能配偶的到來。它們翅膀拍打的速度可以從每秒12拍到每秒超過80拍，靠從花蜜中獲取糖分的高代謝率來供養。雌雄羽毛顏色不同，雄鳥的頭部、頸部、翅膀和胸部羽毛具有明顯的光澤和裝飾。雄鳥明亮的羽毛顏色是對花卉資源和交配的激烈競爭的一部分。許多蜂鳥物種會發出多種多樣的聲音。這種細胞核能夠進行發聲學習(藉由模仿獲得發聲的能力)，是一種罕見的特徵，僅在其他兩類鳥類(鸚鵡和鳴禽)和少數哺乳動物類群(包括人類、鯨魚和海豚以及蝙蝠)中出現。蜂鳥的新陳代謝是所有脊椎動物中最高的，它們可以在攝入後30-45分鐘內利用新攝入的糖來為懸停飛行提供燃料。當食物匱乏且當它們疲倦時，蜂鳥會進入休眠狀態以節省能量。雖然它們很小，但蜂鳥是最富攻擊性的鳥類之一。我碰巧看到一個YouTube影片介紹了蜂鳥的特點，覺得不錯，在此分享蜂鳥奇聞：記性佳，精算計，吃糖不怕糖尿病 | 蜂鳥對比人性，貪圖安逸或追求自由？。
Notes
- Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and belong to the avian family Trochilidae, and their closest relatives are the equally fascinating swifts. With about 366 species and 113 genera, most species are found in Central and South America. Hummingbirds are the smallest mature birds, measuring 7.5–13 cm (3–5 in) in length and weighing 2 to 24 grams(0.07-0.8 oz).
- They are known as hummingbirds because of the humming sound created by their beating wings. Humming serves communication purposes by alerting other birds of the arrival of a fellow forager or potential mate. The wing-flapping rates are from 12 beats to over 80 beats per second, supported by a high metabolic rate dependent on foraging for sugars from flower nectar. Hummingbirds have compact bodies with relatively long, bladelike wings having anatomical structure enabling helicopter-like flight in any direction, including the ability to hover. While hovering, the wing beats produce the humming sounds, which function to alert other birds. Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly up, down, sideways, forwards, and, backwards. Hummingbirds fly at an average speed of 25-30 miles per hour, and are able to dive at a speed of up to 50 miles per hour.
- Hummingbirds do not walk on the ground or hop like most birds, but rather shuffle laterally and use their feet to grip while perching, preening of feathers, nest-building by females, and during fights to grab feathers of opponents.
- The sexes are different in feather coloration, with males having distinct brilliance and ornamentation of head, neck, wing, and breast feathers. Bright plumage colors in males are part of aggressive competition for flower resources and mating. The most typical feather ornament in males is the gorget – a bib-like iridescent neck-feather patch that changes brilliance with the viewing angle to attract females and warn male competitors for territory.
- Hummingbirds exhibit sexual size dimorphism. Sexual size and bill differences likely evolved due to constraints imposed by courtship, because mating displays of male hummingbirds require complex aerial maneuvers. Males tend to be smaller than females, allowing conservation of energy to forage competitively and participate more frequently in courtship. Thus, sexual selection favors smaller male hummingbirds. Female hummingbirds tend to be larger, requiring more energy, with longer beaks that allow for more effective reach into crevices of tall flowers for nectar. Thus, females are better at foraging, acquiring flower nectar, and supporting the energy demands of their larger body size. Directional selection thus favors the larger hummingbirds in terms of acquiring food.
- Many hummingbird species exhibit a diverse vocal repertoire of chirps, squeaks, whistles and buzzes. Vocalizations vary in complexity and spectral content during social interactions, foraging, territorial defense, courtship, and mother-nestling communication. Hummingbird songs originate from at least seven specialized nuclei in the forebrain. A genetic expression study showed that these nuclei enable vocal learning (ability to acquire vocalizations through imitation), a rare trait known to occur in only two other groups of birds (parrots and songbirds) and a few groups of mammals (including humans, whales and dolphins, and bats).
- Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of all vertebrate animals – a necessity to support the rapid beating of their wings during hovering and fast forward flight. Hummingbirds can use newly ingested sugars to fuel hovering flight within 30–45 minutes of consumption.
- Hummingbirds are one of the few groups of birds that are known to go into torpor. Torpor is a very deep, sleep-like state in which metabolic functions are slowed to a minimum and a very low body temperature is maintained. If torpor lasted for long periods, we would call it hibernation, but hummingbirds can go into torpor any night of the year when temperature and food conditions demand it. Hummingbirds are the masters of torpor, because they have to be. Their feathers offer poor insulation, and they have incredibly high metabolic demands. Torpor allows them to check-out physiologically when they cannot maintain their normal 105 degrees Fahrenheit body temperature.
- Praying mantises have been observed as predators of hummingbirds. Other predators include domestic cats, dragonflies, frogs, orb-weaver spiders, and other birds, such as the roadrunner.
- Relatively few hummingbirds migrate as a percentage of the total number of species; of the roughly 366 known hummingbird species, only 12–15 species migrate annually, particularly those in North America.
- For nutrition, hummingbirds eat a variety of insects, including mosquitoes, fruit flies, gnats in flight, or aphids on leaves and spiders in their webs. To supply energy needs, hummingbirds drink nectar, a sweet liquid inside certain flowers. Hummingbirds do not suck nectar through their long bills, and they lick it with fringed, forked tongues. Hummingbirds do not spend all day flying, as the energy cost would be prohibitive; the majority of their activity consists simply of sitting or perching. Hummingbirds eat many small meals and consume around half their weight in nectar.
- Hummingbirds have no sense of smell but have very keen eyesight.
- Hummingbirds are, for the most part, unsociable. In fact, the adjectives pugnacious and feisty are often appropriate. When more than one hummingbird is around, it is often a scene of repeated high-speed chases. In fact, male and female hummingbirds do not form a pair-bond after mating, and the female is left to care for eggs and chicks alone.
- Aztecs wore hummingbird talismans as drawing sexual potency, energy, vigor, and skill at arms and warfare to the wearer. Aztecs believed that fallen warriors would be reincarnated as hummingbirds.
- Trinidad and Tobago, known as "The land of the hummingbird," displays a hummingbird on that nation's coat of arms, 1-cent coin, and livery on its national airline, Caribbean Airlines.
- 蜂鳥是原產於美洲(從阿拉斯加中南部到火地島)的鳥類，屬於蜂鳥科，它們的近親是同樣迷人的雨燕。大約有113屬366種，大多數物種分佈在中美洲和南美洲。蜂鳥是最小的鳥。長度為7.5–13公分(3–5 英寸)，重量為2-24克(0.07-0.8盎司)。
- 它們被稱為蜂鳥，是因為它們在拍打翅膀所產生的嗡嗡聲。嗡嗡聲用來溝通以警戒其他鳥類覓食者或可能配偶的到來。它們翅膀拍打的速度可以從每秒12拍到每秒超過80拍，靠從花蜜中獲取糖分的高代謝率來供養。蜂鳥袖珍的身體，有著相對較長刀劍形的翅膀，結構上可以像直升機一樣在任何方向飛行，包括懸停的能力。盤旋時，翅膀的拍打會產生嗡嗡聲，以提醒其他鳥類。蜂鳥是唯一可以向上，向下，向側面，向前和向後飛行的鳥。蜂鳥以每小時平均25-30英里的速度飛行，並且能夠以每小時50英里的速度向下衝。
- 蜂鳥不像大多數鳥類那樣在地面上行走或跳躍，而是横向來回移動。並且在棲息高處、用喙梳理羽毛、雌性築巢以及在打鬥中抓住對手的羽毛時，會用腳緊握。
- 雌雄羽毛顏色不同，雄鳥的頭部、頸部、翅膀和胸部羽毛有明顯的光澤和裝飾。雄鳥明亮的羽毛顏色是對花卉資源和交配的激烈競爭的一部分。雄鳥最典型的羽毛裝飾品是護頸——一種像圍脖一樣的彩虹色頸羽斑，它的亮度會隨著視角的變化而不同，以吸引雌鳥並警告雄鳥競爭者爭奪領地。
- 蜂鳥有性別大小二態性。身體大小和喙因性別而有所差異，可能是由於求偶的因素演變而來的。因為雄性蜂鳥的交配表演需要復雜的空中花招，雄鳥往往比雌鳥體型小，這樣可以保存能量，以便競爭覓食並能更頻繁地參與求偶，因此這時有利於較小的雄性蜂鳥。雌性蜂鳥往往體型較大，需要更多能量，喙較長，它們可以更有效地進入大花朵的縫隙中獲取花蜜，因此雌鳥更擅長覓食採花蜜，並滿足其較大體型的能量需求，因而在獲取食物方面，有利於體型較大的蜂鳥。
- 許多蜂鳥物種會發出多種多樣的聲音，包括嘰嘰喳喳、吱吱聲、口哨聲和嗡嗡聲。在社交互動、覓食、領地防禦、求偶和雛鳥交流過程中，發聲的複雜性和频率各不相同。蜂鳥的發聲源自前腦中至少七個專門的核團。一項基因研究發現，這些細胞核能夠進行發聲學習(透過模仿取得發聲的能力)，這是一種罕見的特徵，僅在其他兩類鳥類(鸚鵡和鳴禽)和少數哺乳動物類群(包括人類、鯨魚和海豚以及蝙蝠)中出現。
- 蜂鳥的新陳代謝是所有脊椎動物中最高的，這是在懸停和快速向前飛行時支持翅膀快速拍打的必要條件。蜂鳥可以在攝入後30-45分鐘內利用新攝入的糖來為懸停飛行提供燃料。
- 蜂鳥是已知會進入蟄伏狀態的少數鳥類之一。蟄伏是一種非常深度的、類似睡眠的狀態，其中新陳代謝功能減慢到最低限度，並且保持非常低的體溫。如果蟄伏狀態持續很長時間，我們將其稱為冬眠，但是當溫度和食物條件需要時，蜂鳥可以在一年中的任何夜晚進入蟄伏狀態。蜂鳥是蟄伏大師，因為它們必須如此。它們的羽毛絕緣性很差，而且新陳代謝的要求非常高。當它們無法維持正常的105華氏度體溫時，蟄伏狀態可以讓它們進行生理檢查。
- 螳螂是蜂鳥的天敵。其他天敵包括家貓、蜻蜓、青蛙、圓網蜘蛛和其他鳥類，如走鵑。
- 遷徙的蜂鳥佔物種總數的比例相對來說較少；在大約已知的 366 種蜂鳥中，只有 12-15 種每年遷徙，尤其是北美的蜂鳥。
- 為了獲取營養，蜂鳥吃各種昆蟲，包括蚊子、果蠅、飛行中的蚊子、葉子上的蚜蟲和網上的蜘蛛。為了滿足能量需求，蜂鳥喝花蜜 (某些花朵內的甜味液體)。蜂鳥不是通過長嘴吸吮花蜜，而是用分叉狀的舌頭舔花蜜。蜂鳥不會整天飛行，因為能源成本太高。它們的大部分活動只是坐著或棲息。蜂鳥吃多餐，並消耗大約一半體重的花蜜。
- 蜂鳥沒有嗅覺，但視力敏銳。
- 大多數情況下，蜂鳥是不合群的。事實上好鬥和爭強好勝往往是適合它們的形容詞。當不止一隻蜂鳥在周圍時，常會出現反復高速追逐的場景。通常雄性和雌性蜂鳥在交配後不會形成配偶關係，雌性蜂鳥會獨自照顧蛋和雛鳥。
- 阿茲特克人佩戴蜂鳥護身符，為佩戴者帶來性能力、能量、活力以及武器和戰爭技巧。阿茲特克人相信陣亡的戰士會轉世為蜂鳥。
- 特立尼達和多巴哥被稱為“蜂鳥之國”，該國國徽、1美分硬幣和國家航空公司加勒比航空的製服上都印有一隻蜂鳥。
Birds Posts 鳥的帖子
References
- Wikipedia: Hummingbird
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute: Hummingbirds
- National Park Service: HUMMINGBIRDS of Chamizal National Memorial
- 維基百科: 蜂鳥