One of the tiniest birds around is the hummingbird. From the tip of its beak to its tail, it spans about three and a quarter inches. And it hardly weights anything at all.
Almost all birds, when feeding, will either land on a tree branch to search for insects or they will go to ground to forage among the many insects and plant food found there. Hummingbirds are a bit different. People mostly know them for their amazing ability to feed in the air as they hover above plants containing nectar - their primary food. They use their amazing wing speed, which beat at approximately 55 times per second, to remain in a stationary spot above or adjacent to the plant on which they are feeding.
As you might imagine, all of this hovering takes a tremendous amount of energy and exertion. In fact, with a resting heartbeat of more than 600 beats per minute, which can go to over 1,000 beats per minute during high speed activity, hummingbirds have one of the highest metabolic rates of any birds.
The primary reason that humming birds seem to be perpetually feeding is their need to sustain their extraordinary metabolic rate. As the evening approaches, however, their metabolism gradually decelerates which allows them to recharge during the night. If not for this fortuitous quirk of evolution, the hummingbird could not survive as it would be virtually feeding around the clock.
Hummingbirds are of great use to many plants who take advantage of the hummingbird's eating habits in the form of pollination. As the hummingbird flits from flower to flower, pollen from one plant sticks to the bird's bill. It is then carried along on the base of the bill until the bird reaches the next plant where it may be deposited. And since they feed so much, hummingbirds greatly help to speed along the pollination process.
The hummingbird is among the more colorful of birds. In fact, quite a few people are attracted to them by their colorful red and green plumage and frenetic activity. They are one of the more interesting birds to observe as they feed. Many homeowners try to attract them to their garden areas by populating their gardens with bird feeders designed specifically to attract hummingbirds.
Instead of flower nectar, homeowners will either buy or create their own nectar. Other homeowners, especially those who love plants, will simply plant flowers that hummingbirds will be naturally attracted to such as black locust, jewelweeds, and others.
It may take a while to initially attract hummingbirds to your garden. But, once they find either your feeders or your plants, you can be sure that they will visit your garden often.
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