Hummingbirds are fascinating little creatures known for their ability to hover in midair and drink nectar from flowers. Their high metabolism requires them to consume up to twice their body weight in nectar each day. This has led to some questions around how much water hummingbirds need to consume along with that nectar. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at hummingbird drinking habits to find out if they really do drink a lot of water.
Quick Facts on Hummingbirds and Water
– Hummingbirds get most of their water from the nectar they drink – anywhere from 60-100% depending on the type of nectar.
– They do drink some additional water from rain, droplets, lakes, streams, and bird baths.
– Their water intake depends on factors like climate, diet, and activity level.
– Hummingbirds have adaptions like a grooved tongue that helps them drink nectar efficiently.
– They can lick nectar up to 13 times per second!
So in short—yes, hummingbirds get a lot of their water needs met by nectar alone. But they do supplement by drinking water from other sources as well. Read on for more details.
Do Hummingbirds Need to Drink Water?
Hummingbirds fulfill the majority of their water needs by drinking nectar from flowers. The nectar they drink consists of about 80% water, with the rest being sugars.
This high water content in nectar means hummingbirds don’t necessarily need to drink plain water very often. As they feed on nectar through the day, they intake adequate water to support their system.
However, hummingbirds will drink additional water in certain situations:
When the Weather is Hot
During excessively hot weather, hummingbirds may drink more pure water in addition to nectar. This helps them avoid dehydration.
If you live in an especially hot climate, consider putting out a bird bath or dripping water fountain. Hummingbirds may appreciate the extra hydration!
After Eating Dry Foods
In addition to nectar, hummingbirds will sometimes eat small insects for extra protein. They may also consume flower pollen and tree sap, which are relatively dry foods.
After eating these non-liquid foods, hummingbirds often drink plain water to help the food go down and prevent them from drying out.
So having a water source available can be helpful even if they get most of their moisture from nectar.
During Cold Weather
When it’s cold out, hummingbirds enter a state called torpor where their body temperature and metabolic rate drop to conserve energy.
During torpor, they may fast for extended periods. So when they do wake up, drinking water helps rehydrate them and restore fluid balance.
In winter, leave your feeders up and provide water to help hummingbirds supplement when food sources are scarce.
After Strenuous Activity
Hummingbirds burn a lot of energy with all their buzzing around from flower to flower. During intense activity like chasing each other or escaping predators, they use up more calories and fluids.
Drinking water after vigorous exercise helps hummingbirds avoid dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. This allows them to recover properly.
So having a water source available helps hummingbirds bounce back after demanding moments.
How Much Water Does a Hummingbird Drink?
Researchers estimate that hummingbirds get 60-100% of their daily water needs from the nectar they drink. The exact percentage depends on factors like temperature, diet, and activity level.
During cold weather when flowers are less abundant, hummingbirds may rely almost completely on nectar for their water intake.
In hot climates with diverse food sources, they may get a bit less from nectar and drink more from plain water sources like bird baths.
Across all conditions, nectar remains their primary water source. But they can and do drink water whenever it’s available to supplement their needs.
Water Intake Compared to Body Weight
Hummingbirds weigh only 2-20 grams on average. Yet to power their metabolism, they take in massive amounts of nectar relative to their tiny body size.
Research indicates hummingbirds drink up to 2-3 times their body weight in nectar each day! Depending on the nectar concentration, this equates to ingesting 60-100% of their water needs in the process.
Below is a table showing estimated nectar and water intake compared to body weight:
Hummingbird Type | Average Weight | Nectar Intake | Water from Nectar |
---|---|---|---|
Ruby-throated | 3-5 grams | 6-10 grams | 4.8-8 grams (60-100% of weight) |
Rufous | 2-4 grams | 4-6 grams | 3.2-4.8 grams (80-100% of weight) |
Calliope | 2-3 grams | 4-5 grams | 3.2-4 grams (80-100% of weight) |
Blue-throated | 8 grams | 12-16 grams | 9.6-12.8 grams (60-80% of weight) |
As you can see, nectar provides the vast majority of fluid intake for hummingbirds relative to their tiny size. The nectar concentration and availability of other water sources influence exact quantities.
Adaptations That Help Hummingbirds Drink Nectar
Hummingbirds have several key adaptations that allow them to get all the nectar and water they need:
Long Slender Beak
The long tapered beak of hummingbirds is specially designed for drinking from tubular flowers. This allows easy access to nectar deep within the flower.
Different beak lengths match different flower shapes. For example, the sword-billed hummingbird has the longest beak relative to body size of any bird. This allows it to feed on deeply tubular passionflowers.
Grooved Tongue
Hummingbirds have a forked tongue with long fringed tips. When extended, the tongue creates two thin tubes ideally shaped for licking up nectar.
Tiny grooves along the forktips wick liquid through capillary action. This allows hummingbirds to efficiently collect every last drop of precious nectar.
Swift Licking Motion
A hummingbird can lick nectar up to 13 times per second with its grooved tongue. This rapid lapping enables them to quickly extract sugars and fluids from flowers.
High speed vision up to 100 frames per second allows hummingbirds to precisely coordinate feeding while hovering.
Large Energy Stores
Hummingbirds have proportionately massive amounts of flight muscle and fat stores for their size. This provides energy to power frequent feeding bouts and digestion of huge amounts of nectar.
Ounce for ounce, the fat stores of hummingbirds are larger than any other animal! This energetic adaptation supports their thirst and hunger.
Role of Kidneys
Once hummingbirds drink nectar, their kidneys play a key role in maintaining water balance.
Hummingbird kidneys are specialized to rapidly filter out excess water and sugars from the high volumes of nectar they take in. Within 30 minutes of eating, excess fluid has been removed from the bloodstream by the kidneys and expelled as clear urine.
This efficient filtering and excretion process allows hummingbirds to keep drinking massive amounts of nectar without overloading their system with water and sugars. It enables their nectar diet without causing kidney strain.
Here’s a summary of hummingbird kidney adaptations:
High Glomerular Filtration Rate
Hummingbird kidneys can filter over 20 times more blood per minute relative to their body size compared to other birds and mammals. This equates to refiltering the entire fluid volume of their body every 30-60 minutes.
Low Water and Electrolyte Reabsorption
Hummingbird kidneys recover only 10-40% of filtered water and electrolytes like sodium and potassium. This leads to very dilute urine.
In contrast, the kidneys of other birds reabsorb 80-99% of water. Hummingbirds are uniquely adapted for rapid excretion.
High Glucose Excretion
Hummingbird kidneys remove excess sugars from nectar very efficiently. Around 98% of glucose filtered from the blood gets excreted.
Fast Processing
It takes just 30-90 minutes for hummingbirds to process food and liquids through their entire system from beak to cloaca.
These kidney specializations allow hummingbirds to keep up with their intense nectar intake and water turnover rate. This supports their hovering lifestyle.
Do Hummingbirds Drink Nectar from Flowers or Feeders?
Hummingbirds obtain nectar in the wild by feeding on flower blossoms. Some native plants they frequent include:
– Trumpet creeper
– Cardinal flower
– Bee balm
– Columbine
– Petunia
– Salvia
– Fuchsia
They use their specialized beaks and tongues to drink the nectar inside the flowers. This provides most of their water needs along with sugars.
Hummingbirds will also readily drink nectar from feeders in backyards. Feeders allow close observation of hummingbird feeding behavior.
The most common feeder nectar is simply a mixture of plain white sugar and water. The optimal proportion is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. This approximates the natural concentration in many flowers.
No food coloring is needed in the nectar. Red feeders will attract hummingbirds just the same. Maintaining a clean nectar flow keeps hummingbirds coming back.
So whether from flowers or feeders, hummingbirds can fulfill their thirst with delicious nectar!
Do Hummingbirds Drink Things Other Than Nectar?
While nectar is their primary fluid source, hummingbirds will also drink:
Raindrops
Hummingbirds will freshen up by sipping droplets of water off of leaves, branches, and other surfaces after rainfall. This allows them to clean their beaks and supplement fluid intake.
Bird Baths and Fountains
In or near your garden, a bird bath or water fountain with a misting spray allows hummingbirds to drink. They typically perch briefly and drink before buzzing off again.
Drippers that create a thin stream of running water are also enticing.
Sap and Tree Holes
Certain trees like maples, birches, and palms naturally ooze sap that hummingbirds will lick up for its sugar content. The sap also provides extra hydration.
Rainwater that pools in tree cavities is another nature-made water source hummingbirds utilize when available.
Lakes, Streams, and Puddles
Hummingbirds will use their specialized tongues to suck small droplets of water from lakes, streams, and temporary rain puddles. Perching near the water’s edge allows them to drop down for quick drinks between feeding bouts.
So while nectar is the primary liquid for hummingbirds, they opportunistically drink from natural fresh water sources whenever possible to meet their needs.
Do Hummingbirds Drink While Flying?
It may seem impossible for a tiny hummingbird to drink while hovering in mid-air. But researchers have discovered that they can briefly gulp and swallow small amounts of nectar, even while their wings are beating up to 200 times per second.
Here’s how they’re able to pull it off:
Rapid Lapping
As previously described, hummingbirds can lick nectar up to 13 times per second with their specialized forked tongue. Even licking 2-3 times during a quick feed is sufficient to intake some nectar.
Coordinate Feeding and Breathing
Hummingbirds synchronously coordinate their breathing and feeding. They take advantage of the portion of the wingbeat when their beak is pointed downwards to briefly swallow nectar.
Rapid Digestion
Because they empty from the crop quickly, even small gulps of nectar get rapidly digested. Within 5 minutes of swallowing while hovering, absorbed sugars provide an energy boost.
Researchers use high-speed cameras and experiments with colored dyes to confirm that hummingbirds can indeed drink a bit mid-hover. But they still get most of their nectar intake by perching. Hover-drinking complements other feeding strategies.
Do Hummingbirds Drink More in Hot Weather?
Hummingbirds do tend to drink more overall when it’s hot out for a couple key reasons:
Increased Evaporative Water Loss
Like all animals, hummingbirds lose more water through evaporation when it’s hotter. This evaporative loss occurs through breathing and across the skin. Higher temperatures create a greater vapor pressure gradient that pulls more moisture from the body.
To offset this, hummingbirds seek out more water sources for drinking when it’s hot.
Increased Energy Expenditure
Warmer weather causes hummingbirds to expend more energy as their metabolism speeds up. To support this extra exertion, they consume more calories in the form of nectar.
This indirectly leads to increased water intake as they take in more preformed water from nectar.
Providing clean, fresh water helps hummingbirds stay hydrated on scorching days. Just be sure to dump out and change water daily so it doesn’t get dangerously hot!
Interesting Facts About Hummingbirds Drinking
– Hummingbirds have been observed drinking using a combination of suction and capillary action. Their specialized tongue may help draw water upwards.
– Nectar drinking constitutes up to 12% of the total time hummingbirds spend feeding. The rest is devoted to catching insects.
– Young hummingbirds get hydrated from crop milk secreted by their mothers before fledging. Adults later teach them to drink from flowers.
– High-speed cameras reveal that hummingbirds retract their tongues in just 0.1 seconds after submerging the tips in nectar.
– Hummingbirds can draw nectar up to 4 inches above the reservoir by creating negative pressure. No other birds demonstrate this ability.
– Black-chinned hummingbirds spend more time drinking from bird baths compared to feeding on flowers. They readily adapt to take advantage of fresh water.
– Broad-tailed hummingbirds drink twice as frequently as they feed. During cold torpor, they may awake every few days just to rehydrate before sleeping again.
Conclusion
To power their unique high-speed lifestyle, hummingbirds have strikingly adapted to drink massive amounts of liquid nectar throughout the day. The sugars provide calories for energy, while the water in nectar fulfills 60-100% of their hydration needs.
While nectar is their primary fluid source, hummingbirds also opportunistically drink from rainwater, tree sap, streams, and bird baths when available. Their specialized beak and tongue allow them to quickly lap up small amounts, even while hovering in flight.
Factors like weather, diet, and activity levels influence exact water needs. But clearly hummingbirds are finely tuned to obtain all the necessary liquid refreshment from flowers and supplemental water sources to keep their tiny bodies hydrated.