The Humingbird Collection
Contents
Description of the Specimen
Hummingbird. Female. Ruby-throated With parasol,
Description of the Species
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), is a small hummingbird. It is the only species of hummingbird that regularly nests east of the Mississippi River in North America. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), is a small hummingbird. It is the only species of hummingbird that regularly nests east of the Mississippi River in North America. Trochilidae are endemic to the Americas. Breeding habitat is throughout most of eastern North America and the Canadian prairies, in deciduous and pine forests and forest edges, orchards, and gardens. The female builds a nest in a protected location in a shrub or a tree. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is migratory, spending most of the winter in southern Mexico, Central America as far south as South America, and the West Indies. Hummingbirds are birds in the family Trochilidae. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 15–200 times per second (depending on the species). They can fly backwards, and are the only group of birds able to do so. Their English name derives from the characteristic hum made by their rapid wing beats. They can travel 60 miles per hour. With the exception of insects, hummingbirds while in flight have the highest metabolism of all animals, a necessity in order to support the rapid beating of their wings. Their heart rate can reach as high as 1,260 beats per minute.
Hummingbird Moth
The Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is a species of hawk moth with a long proboscis, and regularly hovers, making an audible humming noise. These two features make it look remarkably like a hummingbird when it feeds on flowers, a result of convergent evolution. It flies during the day, especially in bright sunshine, but also at dusk, dawn, and even in the rain, which is unusual for even diurnal hawkmoths. Its visual abilities have been much studied, and it has been shown to have a relatively good ability to learn colors.
Male Hummingbird
A male was added 2009, Fall. He was found on the porch of a house on South Main Street, White River Junciton. He had flown into the decorative glass panel of the front door of the house. What causes a tiny bird to do such a thing? Some believed that he had become infatuated with the play of light on the glassy surface—or perhaps even with his own reflection. But these interpretations seem facile—even disparaging. Love causes inexplicable occurrences to suddenly overwhelm us. Sometimes even, there are catastrophes.
Love locked out may never come again,
- Love locked out and weeping bitter tears,
- But no one ever hears love calling.
Though we need the precious gift it brings,
- We don't heed the song of love it sings,
- On the door love beats its tiny wings, Just love locked out.
A world without love is a world without life,
- A sad world full of gloom,
So please make a place there for love in your heart,
- It does not need much room.
Love is well worth the waiting for,
- When it comes knocking at your door,
- Fling it wide, for love locked out will come No more, no more.
