Dr Theodore Furguson
Hummingbirds, the world’s second largest family of birds are among the planet’s most mysterious and intriguing creatures. They are truly extraordinary, being the world’s smallest birds, the most intensely iridescent, the birds with the fastest body metabolism and the most combative of all birds. They make magic in the air with wings that oscillate and form a figure-eight pattern at rates of up to 200 beats per second. They are the world’s fastest flying birds in relation to body size and can fly in any direction — forwards, backwards, sideways, upside-down and vertical. They are the only birds that can hover for a sustained period of time on their own energy. Hummingbirds are magically unique and live at the biological extreme. They have been called nature’s super heroes.
Interesting Hummingbird Facts
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Hummingbirds hold the record for the fastest flight of any animal in relation to size at 385 “body lengths a second.”
The hummingbird is the world smallest bird, with the bee hummingbird, local to cuba measures 2.75 inches in length.
The hummingbird has the fastest metabolism of all animals sometimes eating up to 3 times their body weight in a day.
Hummingbirds are known for their iridescence caused by the structure of their feathers that reflect light differently based on angle changes
Hummingbirds are exclusive to the Western Hemisphere with most residing in South and Central America.
Hummingbirds are the only bird species that can hover, fly backwards and fly upside down.
Hummingbirds are great pollinators, indeed often a major source of pollination for a variety of flowers, shrubs and trees.
Trinidad is thought to have such a high variety of Hummingbird species because of its close proximity to South America.
Hummingbird can lap nectar at a rate of up to 13 times per second while feeding.
Hummingbirds have the second fastest heart rate in all animals at 1,200 beats per minute in flight.
Hummingbirds are extremely aggressive toward each other. They are very territorial and possessive around food sources.
Hummingbirds breathe at a staggering 250 times per minute
“HUMMINGBIRDS ARE AT THE SOUL OF OUR NATION”
Amerindian Origins
Hummingbirds are of great national significance to the people of our country and as a group are one of the three national birds that appear on our Coat of Arms. The hummingbird is the oldest and most enduring symbol of Trinidad that goes back to the first people, the Amerindians, who called Trinidad, Iere, which is an Amerindian word for Hummingbird.
Cultural Symbols
On becoming an independent state in 1962, Trinidad and Tobago formally recognised the people’s emotional relationship with the hummingbird by including it on the national Coat of Arms for “sentimental reasons”. Hummingbirds are the essence of being ‘trini’ – hence, the continuing and widespread use of the hummingbird as a national and cultural symbol.
Flying Jewels
Hummingbirds are amongst the most intensely colourful lifeforms on the planet. They are naturally iridescent. In brilliant sunshine the metallic colours appear jewel-like hence the reason why hummingbirds are often named after gemstones, precious metals and the sun. Hummingbirds are also known as “flying jewels” and “living gems”.