David Attenborough takes us into the remarkable lives of hummingbirds via stunning slow motion photography. Everything about these tiny birds is superb and extreme. They have the highest metabolism, fastest heart beat and most rapid wing beat in the avian world. They evolved to feed on flowering plants but are now a crucial part of wider ecosystems. How do they mate, raise their young, and live?
- Hummingbirds need to drink every 15 minutes
- To not starve overnight they go into torpor
- Feet and legs evolved to save weight but useless for anything but perching
- Fuschia’s long pistils are for hummingbirds to hold onto while they drink
- Red flowers common for hummingbirds to hide from bees which are red green colorblind
- Their hearts beat 1000x a minute when flying to supply their wing muscles with enough oxygen
- Hummingbirds are only found in the Americas
