They’re small, graceful, marvels of engineering. They’re also altogether evil. O.K. that last part is a bit of an overstatement but, really, who knew these delightful little creatures were so vicious?
Every spring hoards of hummingbirds descend on U.C. Santa Cruz to harvest nectar from its Arboretum’s blooming buds. We followed them there entirely unprepared for what we’d find. Prior to this excursion we had only encountered solitary birds at artificial feeders, and even then, only rarely. To say that we knew little of them or their ways really gives us more credit than we deserve.
Perhaps some advance research might have at least saved us the embarrassment of nearly diving under a bush to avoid the blindside approach of a bird weighing-in at a whopping three grams. In our defense, the little bastard sounded like an entire hive of swarming hornets.
Allen’s hummingbird
We panicked needlessly. This little guy never meant us any harm, but other birds in the area weren’t so lucky. Allen’s Hummingbirds, we now know, are fiercely territorial and will drive off competing males or other species who venture too close. They’ve even been known to attack, and best, far larger predatory birds such as hawks.
True to type, this one spent the afternoon lording over his domain from on high; leaving his perch only to buzz the occasional trespasser.
Anna’s hummingbird
Notwithstanding their ill temper, we found them endlessly fascinating. We watched as they zipped forward and backward (the only bird capable of doing so), up and down, with amazing speed and precision on little wings beating as often as 100 times per second. All in a constant search for nectar and insects, which they consume in daily quantities exceeding their bodyweight. Feeding as often as 14 times per hour, hummingbirds run a continuous race against starvation due to their high metabolism.
The most amazing aspect of these amazing little creatures, though, is their capacity to flash brilliant iridescence. The Allens flash a bright orange around their throats.
But they’re not nearly the most showy. That title goes to Anna hummingbirds who flash blindingly bright fuchsia. Even on a cloudy day these birds blazed like emergency beacons.
Turning their entire visage into, well . . .
