We are sure you enjoyed the introduction to the beautiful and amazing hummingbirds and learned that the ruby-throated live in the eastern United States. Now let's look at some that live in the western part of the country.
One of these is the rufous, mostly orange-red in color, but with a black chin and mottled gray over its head. Some of these spend the summer as far north as Alaska, but most remain in California and Oregon. Another is the well-named black-chinned, with metallic green top feathers, contrasting with a deep black chin and white throat. Then there is one called Anna's, also a dark green color. It spends its summers in California and its winters in South America.
Some of the others with descriptive names include the racket-tail, which has a forked tail three times the length of its body. Another one with a long tail is named fork-tailed. An interesting one named bee is the smallest bird in the entire world. Its body is only about two inches long from the front of its short beak to the end of its short tail. This tiny bird weighs less than a penny. But it can beat its wings as vigorously as the others, about 80 times a second-faster than your eye can see. In flight its wings are seen as a blur. By contrast, the largest hummer of all is called giant and is about ten inches long, but as noiseless as a butterfly in flight.
All hummers must eat at least their own weight in food each day to keep strong and healthy. Their diet is mostly the nectar from flowers and tree blossoms, but also includes a surprising amount of insects and spiders, which provide essential protein.
Hummers' nests are a surprise to those who have never seen one. The insides of their nests are about as big around as a quarter. They are usually made of very small twigs or stems, often coated with clay on the outside and strengthened with spider webs wrapped around it. To do this, the female finds a web stretched between two supports. Hovering a while, she decides just where to grab it with her beak. She pulls it away by flying backward and continues flying in reverse all the way to the nest. If she flew forward the web would wrap itself around her and present a real problem.
How do you think she learned all this? Well, she didn't have to learn it. This is one more example of the Creator's wonderful provisions for every living thing He has placed on the earth. He provided helpful instincts which are passed on from generation to generation. As we think of these little beauties, we can easily understand the words of the Bible which tell us: "[God] doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number" (Job 9:1010Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. (Job 9:10)).