Hummingbirds have always amazed me because of their marvelous flying abilities. This little bird spends the summer with us and then makes that very lengthy migration to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean islands, for winter. Their migration is triggered by decreasing daylight hours and food availability, rather than temperature or hunger. Some ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate along coastal land but most travel 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico, which is amazing to me.
The hummingbird’s metabolism is extremely high and thus it needs to feed almost constantly. At night, hummingbirds enter a state of torpor, similar to hibernation, to conserve energy. They find sheltered spots, often on branches or in dense vegetation, and their body temperature, heart rate and breathing slow significantly. This allows them to survive long, cold nights without burning through their limited energy reserves. But how can they do this during that one-day, 500-mile flight across the Gulf?
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Doug Domedion, outdoorsman and nature photographer, resides in Medina. Contact him at 585-798-4022 or woodduck2020@yahoo.com.