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Hummingbirds
A comprehensive natural history of nature's smallest bird species.
"The spectacular photography of Michael and Patricia Fogden reveals the diversity, beautiful colors and movement of these unique birds."
-- Publishers Weekly
The tiny hummingbird has long been a source of fascination for birdwatchers and naturalists alike. They number 300 species and Ronald Orenstein has a passion for all of them.
Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world. A hummingbird egg is the size of a pea, barely, and the chick that emerges will be smaller than a penny, if that. But these tiny birds pack a powerful engine: a hummingbird's heart beats more than 1,200 times per minute.
Nicknamed the "avian helicopter," a hummingbird's wings beat from 70 times per second in direct flight, to more than 200 times per second when diving. Not surprisingly, that whirlwind of wing power creates a humming sound. To fuel such energy, hummingbirds must eat as much as eight times their body weight on a daily basis, which means visiting an average of 1,000 flowers -- every day -- to get enough nectar.
Hummingbirds are found in North, Central and South America, with the greatest number in Ecuador, although some species breed as far north as Canada. Most species migrate from Mexico to Alaska, a distance of more than 5,000 miles. In this book Orenstein covers all aspects of hummingbird natural history, their relationship with the plants on which they feed, the miracle of their flight, their elaborate social life and nesting behavior, and their renowned feats of migration.
More than 170 color photographs of these magnificent creatures, taken in the wild, adorn the pages of Hummingbirds. Birders and natural history readers alike will gain new insight into the tiny bird and revel in the stunning images.
"The spectacular photography of Michael and Patricia Fogden reveals the diversity, beautiful colors and movement of these unique birds."
-- Publishers Weekly
The tiny hummingbird has long been a source of fascination for birdwatchers and naturalists alike. They number 300 species and Ronald Orenstein has a passion for all of them.
Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world. A hummingbird egg is the size of a pea, barely, and the chick that emerges will be smaller than a penny, if that. But these tiny birds pack a powerful engine: a hummingbird's heart beats more than 1,200 times per minute.
Nicknamed the "avian helicopter," a hummingbird's wings beat from 70 times per second in direct flight, to more than 200 times per second when diving. Not surprisingly, that whirlwind of wing power creates a humming sound. To fuel such energy, hummingbirds must eat as much as eight times their body weight on a daily basis, which means visiting an average of 1,000 flowers -- every day -- to get enough nectar.
Hummingbirds are found in North, Central and South America, with the greatest number in Ecuador, although some species breed as far north as Canada. Most species migrate from Mexico to Alaska, a distance of more than 5,000 miles. In this book Orenstein covers all aspects of hummingbird natural history, their relationship with the plants on which they feed, the miracle of their flight, their elaborate social life and nesting behavior, and their renowned feats of migration.
More than 170 color photographs of these magnificent creatures, taken in the wild, adorn the pages of Hummingbirds. Birders and natural history readers alike will gain new insight into the tiny bird and revel in the stunning images.
- GenresBirdsNonfictionAnimals
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2014
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18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 1, 2015
This book was simply beautiful. Something about seeing photos of and reading about hummingbirds increases the level of cheer in a person's life. There is nothing in all of the animal kingdom, except perhaps butterflies, that is more delightful, amazing, and serendipitous than a hummingbird. It's doubtful that any book can do justice to this challenging subject, but this one comes as close as any.
October 1, 2015
2.5 stars. I wanted to love this book, but it didn't happen. There was something underwhelming about the photo quality and I was less interested than expected. Maybe I prefer my hummingbirds in art after all, not sure.
July 31, 2018
Beautiful book and photographs!
July 2, 2020
A birthday present in 2018 from my best friend.
The photos are amazing and I was most excited to learn many more facts, which in turn solidified my love of my favourite type of bird.
The photos are amazing and I was most excited to learn many more facts, which in turn solidified my love of my favourite type of bird.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews