A Hummingbird Feeder Attracts the Biggest Brained Bird

A hummingbird feeder attracts hummingbirds, this you know. Did you know it attracts the largest brained bird in the entire bird kingdom? Well, inadvertently you did know this because the largest brained bird is in fact the hummingbird. Its brain accounts for 4.2% of its entire body weight. So, the smallest bird in the bird kingdom has the largest brain in proportionate terms.

Here are a few more interesting facts about the hummingbird, all of which are good reasons why you should get a hummingbird feeder so you too can marvel at these awe-inspiring little creatures:-

Hummingbirds Outperform the Maker of the Hummingbird Feeder 

Humans made the humming bird feeder, which sounds like we have the advantage, right? But as it turns out, hummingbirds actually outperform humans on several levels.

They have better hearing than humans. Their sense of hearing is more sensitive, allowing them to pick up on higher-pitched sounds and hear differences in sound quality. But that’s not all; hummingbirds also have a more developed sense of sight. They see farther than we do and have a wider spectrum of colors … into ultraviolet range. This is what makes red so irresistible to them. And that’s why red is the primary color of a hummingbird feeder.

Hummingbirds Have a Unique Flying Style Replicated by No Other Bird  

You know they seem to float effortlessly in air. You’ve probably seen them hovering at a hummingbird feeder. But did you know they are the only bird able to fly forwards, backwards, up, down and sideways?

Maybe you did know they could fly in all directions, but do you know why? It’s because they can rotate their wings in a full circle. If you’ve never seen a hummingbird fly upside down, it’s probably because they only use this move when being attacked by another bird.

There’s More to a Hummingbird’s Beak than What Meets the Eye 

A hummingbird’s bill may appear to be shaped differently than most birds. Many people think a hummingbird’s bill is longer and pointier than other birds. Turns out, the bill is generally shaped like any other bird, it’s just longer in relation to its body.

When you see a hummingbird eating from a hummingbird feeder, it may look like it’s sucking the nectar as if its bill were a straw. But what you’re not seeing is its long, tiny, fork-shaped tongue. It uses its tongue to lap up the nectar, and tiny hairs on the tip help. In fact, a hummingbird is very efficient when it comes to lapping up nectar, as it can flick its tongue up to ten times per second. Comparable to a honey bee, the hummingbird’s tongue makes it a very efficient pollinator.

After reading about what makes a hummingbird so unique, you’re probably going to be watching your humming bird feeder like a hawk. Now you need to learn more about hummingbird migration. Guest post written by Michelle Anderson.