The Ruby-throated hummingbird only weighs about as much as three paper clips but it has an incredible range.
A tiny hummingbird can fly more than 1,300 miles without a break during its marathon migration, a study shows.
The annual autumn journey of the tiny Ruby-throated hummingbird from the east coast of the US to Central America has been detailed for the first time.
It weighs about three grammes – about as much as three paper clips.
But the speedy little bird can beat its wings 53 times a second and fly in an acrobatic style matched by few others.
It hovers often – and also flies upside down and backwards.
Collecting data on birds passing through southern Alabama researchers found the birds moved through the area between late August and late October – with older ones arriving earlier and in better condition.
Using a computer programme to estimate flight range based on mass and wingspan they estimated the average hummingbird has a flight range of about 2,200 kilometers – 1,367 miles.
Older birds and males were predicted to be able to travel farther in one go than those younger or female.
The results published in The Auk: Ornithological Advances suggest older birds are more experienced and socially dominant – leaving their breeding territories earlier and travelling faster.
Whether Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrate across the Gulf of Mexico or around it is still unknown.
But the flight ranges researchers calculated mean most would be able to make it across if weather conditions were favourable.
Dr Theodore Zenzal, of Southern Mississippi University, said: “The most interesting thing in my opinion is how some of these birds effectively double their body mass during migration and are still able to perform migratory flights – especially given some of the heftier birds seem to barely make it to a nearby branch after being released.”
His researchers captured hummingbirds with mist nets at Alabama’s Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge during the autumn migrations of 2010-14 – banding and recording data on an amazing 2,729 individuals.
Even a visiting documentary crew was charmed by the tiny birds.
Dr Zenzal said: “All but one person on the crew was from Europe and most had never seen a hummingbird in real life so you can imagine how fascinating these birds must have seemed.
“During the course of filming members of the crew would regularly ask me to place a hummingbird in their hand so they could release it.
Hummingbird expert Professor Chris Clark, of California University in Riverside, said: “Patterns we previously had hints of from small, anecdotal observations are documented here with a very large sample size.
“It’s interesting that the young of the year migrate after adults and are quite different in their stopover phenology.
“This suggests there are substantial differences between flying south for the first time, as opposed to flying somewhere again as an adult.
“I think further research on how young hummingbirds migrate – and the decisions they make – would be really interesting.”
Source: mirror.co.uk
