The World of the Hummingbird

by Robert Burton

The hummingbird is a compact wonder of physiology, and has long been a source of fascination for observers of the natural world. This tiny creature is a record breaker on many fronts, from its highly efficient use of food for energy to its staggeringly impressive annual long-distance migrations. The mystery and achievement of the hummingbird has clearly made its mark. A zoologist by training and a bird lover by nature, author Robert Burton marries a rigorous scientific knowledge about these unique birds with an engaging appreciation for and a delight in his subject. In lively and informative text, Burton introduces the hummingbird and deftly explores its natural history, its essential relationship with plant life, the miracle of its flight, its elaborate social life as well as its nesting behavior and renowned migratory habits. Also addressed is the hummingbird's rich relationship with humans, including its place in myth and legend. Burton also discusses the post-contact trade in hummingbird feathers, which has significantly depleted its populations, and the current threats to its habitat.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2001

About the author

A trained zoologist, Robert Burton is an established author in the field of everyday natural history, focussing on the commonplace rather than the exotic or unusual. He is the wildlife columnist for the Royal Horticultural Society's The Garden and has written many articles for other magazines, including the RSPB magazine Birds. He continues the popular Nature Note in the Daily Telegraph started by his father, Dr. Maurice Burton.
Coming from a family of natural historians, Robert Burton has grown up with the concept of the garden as a sanctuary for birds and other animals. Although he has pursued his nature studies all around the world, he now works mainly from home, where he has plenty of opportunities to observe the visitors to his garden.

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photographs are amazing...I love hummingbirds and so just for the pictures this is worth a good look, but it is full of amazing facts. There is a bit of quite technical information about the aerodynamics of hummingbird flight and the extraordinary structure of their wings and the 'structural' color of their iridescences, not all of which I quite grasped but that was all right. But what could give me more joy than discovering that there exists in the Andes the giant hummingbird (Calypte helenae), which is 8 1/2 inches long and has a wingspan of a foot? Nothing. Maybe the bee hummingbird which is only 2 1/4 inches long, or the sword-billed hummingbird with a four inch beak. Learning that both bats and moths can also hover, and more efficiently, than hummingbirds was also exciting. Hummingbirds when cold can go into what is called torpor (I do too, but it's not quite the same), also called 'noctivation' where they slow down everything, appear to be almost dead, can be handled but quickly come back to life with the warmth of a hand. They can fly backwards and upside down when threatened. A few species, like the rufous in its travels from western north America through the Rockies to southern Mexico, migrate hundreds and thousands of miles. In tropical areas where there are more types, they form what is known as 'guilds', up to 20 species coexisting peacefully occupying different niches in a landscape. A few species go 'lekking', where males congregate and perform and females choose among them. They use spider webs t build their nests.

They are amazing.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photography (amazing actually) and great information on this wonderful little creature. If you like hummingbirds or just have an interest in how they do what they do, you will enjoy this book.