The Exotic Hummingbird: One of the Pollinators of Nature

Hummingbirds are often classed among nature’s more beautiful creatures. Among other features, the ability of these birds to fly acrobatically and to have lots of colors is interesting. These small animals measuring about three to five inches long, are not only fun to watch but are also useful in pollination.

Primary nectar feeders, hummingbirds tend to seek out red or orange tubular-feeding flowers and consume nectar from them. They are lured close to the flowers and make use of their long tongues to suck the nectar and at the same time, while perching on a flower, transfer pollen from one flower to another. This essential process guarantees the survival of numerous kinds of plants and helps increase the diversity of life on earth.

Apart from being immune to weather variations and participating in frantic activities like flying about retrieving nectar, hummingbirds are equally skilled fliers. Through the use of their remarkable wing structure, the ideal flight movement can be done with sophistication, forwards, backward, sideway and upside down. The wings moved in a feathered motion can do many beats in a second, 80 in one second when hovering, making them quick catchers.

Hummingbirds would fool us with their great feasting habits, or call them browsing skills where they appear to suck up nectar from flowers, only to defend feeding spots ferociously. Watching these beautiful birds hugging flowers and floating amongst flowers in a garden adds some enchantment to the landscape of the garden reminding us about the interdependence between animals and plants.