Hummingbirds: The Hungry Pollinators by Reed

Within the avian world, one of the best pollinators is the tiny hummingbird.  Found only in North and South America, there are 360 different species of hummingbirds.  These amazing birds range in size from the smallest bird in the world, the Bumblebee Hummingbird which only reaches about 2.4 inches, to the Giant Hummingbird which can be as long as 9 inches.

Every single hummingbird is a pollinator, meaning they take pollen from one plant to another effectively fertilizing the plant and allowing it to produce seeds.  Much of a hummingbird’s diet consists of nectar that it sips from flowers, and also small fruit flies that it catches.  When a hummingbird sticks its bill into a flower to drink the nectar, pollen from the flower can stick to its head and bill.  The pollen is then be brushed off of the hummingbird when it feeds on another flower, creating pollination. 

When pollen gets spread around, plants produce more seeds, are healthier and even create fruit.  Planting brightly colored flowers like Trumpet Vine, Bee Balm, Sage, Lupine, Lilies, and more can help hummingbirds get the food they need to stay healthy and also help them spread pollen. Hummingbirds burn so many calories while beating their wings at 70 times per second that they need to eat about every 10 minutes.  And when a hummingbird is hungry it can visit anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 flowers every day.