Amazing Hummingbirds: Unique Images and Characteristics

by Stan Tekiela

Overview

Hummingbirds Are Wondrous and Beautiful. Watching Them in Action Is Almost Magical.

Professional naturalist and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela adores them, and this adoration led him to spend more than 10 years traveling across the United States to observe and photograph the various species. Here, he has documented every aspect of their lives, from first flight and feeding to migration and mating. His dazzling photography captures the allure of these beloved backyard visitors, while the book’s headings and small blocks of text make for easy yet informative reading. This combination of images and insight results in a one-of-a-kind browsing experience. Your coffee table won’t be complete without Amazing Hummingbirds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591932468
Publisher:	Adventure Publications, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/08/2010
Series:	Wildlife Appreciation
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Naturalist, wildlife photographer, and writer Stan Tekiela is the author of more than 175 field guides, nature books, children’s books, wildlife audio CDs, puzzles, and playing cards, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, wildflowers, and cacti in the United States. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 25 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs. Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers, and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

Read an Excerpt

None So Fair

North American hummingbirds are some of the most easily recognized birds, characterized by many unique features. These petite treasures are well known for their specialized, brightly colored, sparkly feathers, which refract sunlight almost like a prism. Unlike most other birds, hummers enjoy a distinctive diet of nectar liberally seasoned with minute insects. For sipping their sweet drinks, they sport a long, narrow bill that slips easily into flowers and nectar feeders.

They are very fast, agile flyers and the only birds that truly hover in flight. Many birds can remain stationary, or hover, for a few wing beats if they have a good headwind, but they cannot sustain their hover like a hummingbird. Incredibly, hummers can also fly backward! They are the only birds that can also fly straight up and down, side to side and even flip around in an aerial somersault. The key to all of this fantastic flight is their size and weight.

Table of Contents

Amazing Hummingbirds

The Hummingbird Family

None So Fair

A Good Name

Origins of the Species

The World’s Smallest Bird

Life Span

Staying Alive

Hummers from Coast to Coast

Habitats

Regional Variations

Differences of the Sexes

Feather Lights

Reflective Feathers

Adding Color

White Hummingbirds

Feather Finery

Molting

Masters of Flight

Extraordinary Heart

Eye-catching Sight

Bill Bending

Grooved Tongue

High-speed Digestion

Flower Sweets

Energy in Nectar

Flower Sweets

Hummers and Pollination

Hunting for Insects

Sap Taps

Food Tasting

Saving Energy

Sunbathing Fun

Daily Preening

Bath Time

Call Notes

Wing Singing

Diving Displays

More than Bravado

Territory

Migration

No Free Rides

Time to Leave

Feeder Rest Stops

Migratory Feats

Spring Migration

Breeding Ground Arrivals

Where’s that Feeder?

Establishing a Territory

Nest Construction

Flexible Nest

Mating Encounters

Egg Laying

Dainty Eggs

Incubation Duty

Brood Patch

Hatching

Feeding the Young

Fledgling Life

Independence

Hummingbird Moths

Attracting Hummers

Choosing Feeders

Nectar Recipes

Hummer Myths

Tiny Flying Jewels

Featured Hummingbirds

About the Author

Helpful Resources