Page 25 - World of Animals - Issue #31
P. 25
Ruby-red
A hummingbird’s
colour is not the
result of pigments,
but special cells in
the feathers that
scatter light and
emit particular
wavelengths.
Shining in the sun
The bright red feathers
Red neck feathers are iridescent; from one
The characteristic red direction they appear dull,
feathers are only found on but when the light hits in
males. They are iridescent the right way, the metallic
and shimmer in the sunlight. feathers shimmer.
Showing off
Typically males will have a brighter
red plumage as they migrate north
toward their breeding ground to attract
a mate. As the year passes, it fades and
becomes orange in colour.
White feathers Darting tongue
on neck
The tongue of the ruby-throated hummingbird
is able to dart in and out of the beak at a rapid
pace, sometimes 15 to 20 times a second. At Beak
the tip, the tongue is split and Tongue
each fork is fringed. It was
previously thought that
hummingbirds used their
long tongues to suck up
nectar like a straw,
but now we know
the fringed edges,
called lamellae, are
used to trap nectar.
Closest family
Closely related to the red-throated hummingbird are…
Anna’s hummingbird Swift Rufous hummingbird
MATURITY It would be easy to confuse Although they don’t look The rufous lives in the
western US and migrates
the two from sight alone,
much alike, the swi is
as Anna’s hummingbirds an evolutionary cousin south to Mexico and
Sexual maturity 1 year Adulthood 1-7 years Old age 7-9 years have a similar plumage of the hummingbird and Panama for winter. The
Sexual maturity is reached Hummingbirds spend No one is really sure of their exact and colouration. The main the similarities are still females can be identified
around the same age in both male their days flying long life expectancy but studies have difference is where they evident. Both are small, from the ruby-throated
and females. Aer one year of life, distances, looking for food shown females can live up to seven are found, as these birds insectivorous birds and hummingbird, by the green
they are ready to reproduce. and avoiding predation. years and males up to nine years. stay on the west US coast. effi cient aerial predators. feathers on her back.
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