- The magic begins - (1)
When the light reaches the throat of the Brazilian Ruby Hummingbird (male), the green feathers change to golden or to ruby depending on the angle you are looking and the angle the of the light itself.
In these two photos you can see part of the transformation: golden in the first photo and light ruby (something more similar to orange) in the second photo. But I assure to you that the throat really changes to vibrant ruby tone depending of the light and movement of the bird too.
7 fun facts about hummingbirds
1- The indigenous gave very suggestive names to the hummingbirds, which perfectly described these charming birds:
For the "Caraíbas indians", they were the “colibris”, which means “resplendent area”.
The "Tupis" called them “guainumbis”, that is, “sparkling birds”.
For the "Guarani indians", on the other hand, hummingbirds were the “mainumbis”, that is, “those who enchant, next to the flower, with its light and splendor”.
2- Its huge heart, which represents 19 to 22% of the total body weight, facilitates the rapid circulation of blood.
3- In a single day, they are able to ingest nutritious substances up to 8 times their body weight.
4- Some hummingbirds develop average speeds ranging from 30 to 70 km per hour and the vibration of the wings can reach 50 to 70 beats per second.
5- They are the only birds that can literally stand still in the air, take off and land vertically, and even reverse in mid-flight.
6- The spectacular color of hummingbirds originates from the phenomenon of refraction of light, through the microstructure of the feathers. The color changes, observed in the same bird, vary according to the angle of incidence of sunlight or the movement of the body.
7- They say that Igor Sirkorski, who invented the helicopter, based his ideas on the continuous observation of the flight of hummingbirds. However, the helicopter cannot fly upside down. Hummingbirds can.
- The magic begins - (1)
When the light reaches the throat of the Brazilian Ruby Hummingbird (male), the green feathers change to golden or to ruby depending on the angle you are looking and the angle the of the light itself.
In these two photos you can see part of the transformation: golden in the first photo and light ruby (something more similar to orange) in the second photo. But I assure to you that the throat really changes to vibrant ruby tone depending of the light and movement of the bird too.
7 fun facts about hummingbirds
1- The indigenous gave very suggestive names to the hummingbirds, which perfectly described these charming birds:
For the "Caraíbas indians", they were the “colibris”, which means “resplendent area”.
The "Tupis" called them “guainumbis”, that is, “sparkling birds”.
For the "Guarani indians", on the other hand, hummingbirds were the “mainumbis”, that is, “those who enchant, next to the flower, with its light and splendor”.
2- Its huge heart, which represents 19 to 22% of the total body weight, facilitates the rapid circulation of blood.
3- In a single day, they are able to ingest nutritious substances up to 8 times their body weight.
4- Some hummingbirds develop average speeds ranging from 30 to 70 km per hour and the vibration of the wings can reach 50 to 70 beats per second.
5- They are the only birds that can literally stand still in the air, take off and land vertically, and even reverse in mid-flight.
6- The spectacular color of hummingbirds originates from the phenomenon of refraction of light, through the microstructure of the feathers. The color changes, observed in the same bird, vary according to the angle of incidence of sunlight or the movement of the body.
7- They say that Igor Sirkorski, who invented the helicopter, based his ideas on the continuous observation of the flight of hummingbirds. However, the helicopter cannot fly upside down. Hummingbirds can.