His heart has slowed from a daytime rate of 1,200 beats per minute to less than 100 beats per minute, which, for a hummingbird, is barely ticking over. His body temperature has dropped too, by some 26°C, to just a few degrees above the chilly ambient air temperature. To put that into perspective, were our body temperature to drop by 2°C, we’d enter a state of hypothermia. To all intents and purposes, this hummingbird is coming out of a state of near hibernation.
Fuel in the tank
Extremes of exertion demand a lot of energy. The recommended daily calorie intake is 2,500 for men and2,000 for women. But if we had the metabolism and energy requirements of a hummingbird, it would increase to approximately 155,000 calories a day. Nectar from flowers is sugar-rich and provides the energy hummingbirds need. They cannot, however, live on sugar alone – they supplement their daily diet with protein in the form of small insects and spiders, which they hunt when not visiting flowers.
Rise and shine
Esta historia es de la edición September 2021 de BBC Wildlife.
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Esta historia es de la edición September 2021 de BBC Wildlife.
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