FEATURE NGBIRDS – S FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY W


ho does not know the small, shimmering hummingbirds which flap their wings faster than the human eye can see? The more than 320 species of hummingbirds exclusively inhabit the New World. They occupy forests, deserts, mountain regions and open landscapes from southern North to South America. The smallest representative, with a size of only 5 - 6 cm and a weight of 2 g, is the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) – the male is the lightest bird in the world and not larger than a human thumb! The 11 x 8 mm eggs are only the size of a pea and weigh 0.4 g. With a size of 22 cm and a weight of 23 g, the Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas) is the largest of these tiny bird species. Its eggs are 20 x 12 mm and weigh 1.4 g. Most of the hummingbirds show a


sexual dimorphism. In general, the male is considerably more colourful and shiny than the female. He uses the plumage coloration as a signal during courtship or dominance displays. Especially in very territorial species the iridescent plumage colouration is highly pronounced. The duller coloured females rely on ‘crypsis’ during the rearing of their offspring as a defence against predation. Females care for the eggs and young by themselves without the help of the males. They build a tiny, mostly cup-shaped


BIRD SCENE 07


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