Hummingbirds are some of the smallest birds in the world, yet they have an incredibly high metabolism that requires them to consume up to twice their body weight in nectar each day. Their need for frequent nourishment means a hummingbird must drink multiple times per hour to survive.
Why do hummingbirds need so much energy?
Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of all birds and mammals. Their hearts can beat up to 1,260 times per minute and they take 250 breaths per minute while at rest. This extremely rapid metabolism is necessary to support their unique mode of flight.
To hover, hummers beat their wings up to 80 times per second. This allows them to fly in any direction, even backwards. The energy required for this specialized hovering flight is enormous compared to other birds. The intense muscular exertion requires a lot of calories, which in turn requires frequent refueling.
Additionally, hummingbirds have a lower temperature at night to conserve energy. Their body goes into a hibernation-like state called torpor. This reduces their metabolic rate and helps them survive on less food while sleeping. But they must still replenish their stores the following day.
How many calories does a hummingbird need?
The exact caloric requirement of hummingbirds depends on their specific species and activities. But on average, hummingbirds need to consume 3-7 calories per day for every gram of body weight. This is equivalent to eating 1,500 to 3,500 calories per day for a 500-gram human adult!
To put their energy needs into perspective, here are the estimated daily calorie requirements for some common hummingbird species:
| Species | Weight | Calories/day |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | 3-4 grams | 12-28 calories |
| Rufous Hummingbird | 3-5 grams | 15-35 calories |
| Anna’s Hummingbird | 4-6 grams | 20-42 calories |
As you can see, even a tiny Anna’s hummingbird needs up to 42 calories per day. That’s over 20 times a human’s weight-adjusted calorie needs!
How do hummingbirds get all those calories?
Hummingbirds meet their extreme energy needs by lapping up nectar all day long. Their diet consists of 75-95% nectar from flowers. The remaining portion comes from small insects which provide essential proteins.
Flower nectar is an ideal energy source because it’s up to 30% sugar, mostly fructose and sucrose. These simple sugars are efficiently metabolized into energy by hummingbirds’ supercharged digestive system.
But nectar is still a low-density food, so hummers have to consume a lot of fluid daily. Here’s how much nectar popular feeder flowers provide:
| Flower | Nectar per Flower | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Trumpet Vine | 0.05 mL | 0.2 |
| Bee Balm | 0.15 mL | 0.6 |
| Cardinal Flower | 0.3 mL | 1.2 |
Considering an active hummer needs up to 42 calories per day, meeting their energy requirement would require visiting hundreds of nectar-rich flowers!
How much nectar can hummingbirds store?
Hummingbirds can’t possibly fulfill their entire day’s energy needs in one or two feedings. Luckily, their tiny bodies are specially adapted for frequent nectar consumption.
Hummers have extendible tongues that dart in and out up to 13 times per second. This allows them to lap up nectar at a fast rate.
They also have a larger proportional amount of storage space for nectar than other birds. Up to 20% of their body weight can be stored nectar and sugar in their crop.
For a 4 gram Ruby-throated Hummingbird, this means a nectar storage capacity of:
- Body weight: 4 grams
- Nectar storage: 20% of 4 grams = 0.8 grams
Still, 0.8 grams of fluid isn’t much. This helps explain why hummingbirds need to refuel so often.
How many feeding trips do hummingbirds make daily?
Hummingbirds must drink nectar every 10-15 minutes all day long to meet their extreme metabolic demands.
This translates into up to 150 feeding trips to flowers or feeders per day. And remember that each “trip” consists of multiple flower visits or laps from a feeder.
Hummers also tend to feed most actively in the morning and evening when nectar production peaks. Here’s an estimate of their feeding schedule:
Early morning
– Up to 30 feeding trips in the first 2 hours after sunrise
Mid morning
– 10-15 feeding trips each hour
Afternoon
– Feed every 15-20 minutes
Late afternoon
– Up to 30 feeding trips in 2 hours before sunset
This adds up to hundreds of individual flower visits or feeder laps every day!
How much liquid do hummingbirds consume daily?
Based on their total calorie needs and the concentration of nectar, we can estimate a hummingbird’s daily fluid intake:
Let’s use an Anna’s hummingbird as an example. It may need around 40 calories per day:
- Calorie requirement: 40 calories/day
- Nectar is typically 15-30% sugar by volume
- Assuming 25% sugar concentration
- Each 1 mL of nectar has approximately 0.25 grams sugar
- Each gram of sugar provides 4 calories
- So 1 mL nectar provides approximately 1 calorie (0.25 g sugar x 4 cal/g)
- To get 40 calories at 1 calorie/mL, requires 40 mL nectar
Therefore, a 6 gram Anna’s Hummingbird likely consumes around 40 mL of nectar each day. That’s over 6 times its body weight in fluid daily!
How often do hummingbirds drink at feeders?
Hummingbirds will drink from feeders multiple times per hour to meet their nutritional needs. Here are some estimates:
| Time of Day | Feeder Visits/hr |
|---|---|
| Early Morning | 12-18 visits |
| Mid Morning | 8-12 visits |
| Afternoon | 6-10 visits |
| Evening | 12-18 visits |
Based on these estimates, a single hummingbird may visit a feeder over 100 times in a day! And remember that each “visit” consists of multiple laps from the nectar reservoir. So they can easily drink 5-10 times in the few seconds they spend at the feeder each time.
Providing a constant nectar supply in a hummingbird feeder is the best way to help meet their near-continuous energy needs.
Do hummingbirds drink rainwater or dew?
Hummingbirds get almost all of their hydration from flower nectar. But they will also opportunistically drink plain water from rainwater, pools, fountains, or leaves and branches covered in dew or rain.
Drinking raindrops provides a source of emergency hydration if nectar is scarce. Licking water drops from vegetation also gives a small supplement of minerals and electrolytes.
However, water lacks the essential sugars that provide hummingbirds energy. So plain water can’t sustain them for long in the absence of nectar or sugar feeders.
What happens if a hummingbird doesn’t drink enough?
Given their extreme metabolic needs, hummingbirds face life-threatening consequences if they don’t consume enough nectar.
Without adequate energy intake, they will become lethargic and weakened. Their heart rate will slow and they may lose the ability to fly properly or maintain their body temperature.
In severe cases of malnutrition, the hummingbird will fall into torpor during the daytime when it should be active. They may become stranded on the ground, too weak to fly. Tragically, starvation can lead to death in just a couple hours for a tiny hummer.
Providing clean nectar feeders with a proper sugar-to-water ratio is the best way to prevent hunger and starvation in your backyard hummingbirds.
Key Takeaways
Here’s a quick summary of how much hummingbirds drink each day:
- Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of all birds and mammals.
- They need to consume 3-7 calories per day for every gram of body weight.
- Their diet is 75-95% flower nectar, which provides efficient energy from sugar.
- Hummers eat hundreds of times per day, visiting flowers or feeders every 10-15 minutes.
- An active hummingbird may drink 6 times its body weight in nectar daily.
- Frequent feeding is necessary to support their unique hovering flight.
- Providing clean nectar feeders is crucial for hummingbird health and survival.
In summary, a hummingbird’s liquid intake is proportional to its extreme energy usage required for specialized hovering flight. Their demanding lifestyle necessitates drinking up to their body weight in nectar multiple times per day.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds have evolved incredible adaptations like rapid heart and breathing rates, extendible tongues, and enlarged nectar storage capacity to match their intense caloric requirements. While other birds sip, hummers quickly lap up large quantities of nectar throughout the day. Understanding their almost continuous need to feed helps explain why hummingbirds buzz energetically from flower to flower or zip frequently to nectar feeders. Providing a readily available nectar source is the best way to help hummingbirds thrive. Their aerial acrobatics and dazzling colors continue to delight and amaze us, fueled by the amazing quantities of liquid they consume each day.
