The Hummingbird
Have you ever heard a hummingbird fly by you ? They zoom by so fast that they make a " humming " sound . This is where the name hummingbird comes from . In fact they are also called hummers . They fly so fast that all you see is a blur . Hummingbirds flap their wings at incredible speeds . On average , a hummingbird will flap its wings 50 times a second and can reach speeds as fast as 200 times
a second . Now that is fast ! This allows them to fly as fast as 34 miles per hour .
Hummingbirds are pollinators . They love to drink the sweet nectar from the flowers by sticking their beak into the flower and moving their tongue in and out 13 times per second to slurp up the liquid . When they do this , some of the pollen gets stuck to their beak . When they fly to a neighboring flower the pollen comes off on the pistil of the flower . About 8,000 flowers in North and South America depend on the hummingbird for pollinating .
Did You Know ? There are over 340 species of hummingbirds and they are native only in North , Central , and South America . Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards , as well as hover , fly forwards , and even upside down . A flock of hummingbirds can be referred to as a bouquet , a glittering , a hover , a shimmer , or a tune .
Source : West Greeley Conservation District / 4-H Pollinator Habitat Program
Hummingbird Nectar Recipe One way to attract hummingbirds it to set up a feeder with a sugary nectar to provide them with a food source . 1 . Bring 1 cup of water to boil 2 . Add 1 / 4 cup of white granulated sugar 3 . Stir until dissolved 4 . Boil this mixture for 2 minutes ( this will help keep the nectar from spoiling too quickly ) 5 . Set aside to cool 6 . Pour into a clean hummingbird feeder
5 Things Kids Can Do to Help Pollinators
1 . Be kind to your pollinator friends . Pollinators like bugs and birds are small and fragile . It ' s easy for people to hurt them . Be gentle and quiet when they are near !
2 . Look , but don ' t touch ! When you see a butterfly , bee , beetle , or hummingbird outside , look , but don ' t touch ! Pollinators won ' t hurt you if you leave them alone and are kind to them .
3 . Don ' t use chemical sprays . Bug your family to stop using chemical sprays in your house and garden . Chemicals kill bad bugs , but they hurt pollinators too .
4 . Keep pollinators ' homes safe . And help make habitat for pollinators . Take care of a garden . Plant some flowers . When you find a bug in your house , gently take it outside to its natural habitat .
5 . Bug someone ! Bugs and pollinators are fun and interesting . Teach your family and friends about these important creatures . Teach them to say " Thanks Bugs !" You can " bee " an expert !
Visit www . pollinator . org for more ideas and information .
The Colorado Reader publication is an Agriculture in the Classroom project of the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture . The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture ( CFA ) is a 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit education corporation and works with industry partners to help meet our shared vision of advancing Colorado agricultural literacy . We provide Agriculture in the Classroom resources and programs to Colorado educators and students , many of which are FREE or at minimal cost . For more information or to make a donation to support agricultural literacy education programs , visit www . GrowingYourFuture . com , or contact Jennifer Scharpe , Colorado Foundation for Agriculture , 10343 Federal Blvd Unit J Box 224 , Westminster , CO 80260 , 970-818-3308 , Info @ GrowingYourFuture . com . Educational instructors may , for academic purposes , reproduce , download , disseminate , and transfer this material as long as proper credit is given .
Financial support for this Reader provided by :
Seed Technology Education Program and the Adopt-A-Classroom program
Special thanks to : Kristi Helzer , West Greeley Conservation District Community Education & Outreach Coordinator & Patrick Pulis , CSU Extension - 4-H Program Associate
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