Hello,
Someone may have already responded, but in case others have the same ques=
tion: although we are accustomed to seeing hummingbirds taking nectar fro=
m flowers in the warm months, in fact, estimates are that up to 60% of th=
eir diet consists of small arthropods/insects (source: Hummer/Bird Study =
Group). When flowers are unavailable, they continue to eat insects (whic=
h are surprisingly prevalent, even in extreme cold); there are also repor=
ts of them visiting sap flows (either to drink the sap or to catch the in=
sects attracted to it). Additionally, I have noticed that in winter, the=
y will visit flowers like pansies they wouldn't normally bother with when=
nectar sources are abundant:. They also go into torpor at night and low=
er their body temperatures by 30 degrees F, preserving precious energy. =
It seems to go against all logic that such high-energy birds can survive =
harsh winter conditions, but the Rufous in particular seems to do so quit=
e readily! Good web sites for more info:
the Hummer/Bird Study Group: http://www.hummingbirdsplus.org/index.html
Operation Ruby Throat: The Hummingbird Project: http://www.rubythroat.or=
g/
The Trochilids Website on Winter Hummingbirds: http://www.trochilids.com=
/
Hummingbirds.net: http://www.hummingbirds.net/
--Laura Farron
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
