Hummingbirds are remarkable little creatures known for their ability to hover in midair and fly backwards. They are also famous for having extremely high metabolisms that require them to consume incredible amounts of energy on a frequent basis.
Why do hummingbirds need to eat so often?
Hummingbirds have very high metabolisms for their tiny size. Their hearts beat up to 1,260 times per minute and they take 250 breaths per minute while at rest. During flight, their metabolisms increase dramatically, requiring immense amounts of energy to power their wings which beat up to 80 times per second.
To support their metabolisms, hummingbirds need to consume more than their own body weight in nectar each day. Since they cannot store very much energy at a time, they must eat frequently throughout the day to avoid starvation.
How much do hummingbirds eat?
An adult hummingbird consumes between 3,000 to 7,000 calories per day depending on its size and activity level. To put that in perspective, that is roughly 5 to 10 times the caloric intake an average human adult needs daily.
Hummingbirds get most of their calories from consuming nectar and flower pollen. Nectar is essentially sugar water, containing about 20% sugar concentration on average. Pollen provides protein and nutrients.
On average, a hummingbird will consume:
- 5-20 meals of nectar per day
- Hundreds to thousands of flower blossoms per day for nectar
- Thousands of individual grains of pollen per day
The exact amounts vary by species. Larger hummingbird species like giant hummingbirds tend to eat more than tiny species like the bee hummingbird which is the smallest bird in the world.
How often do hummingbirds need to eat?
Due to their high metabolism, hummingbirds need to eat frequently throughout the day to maintain energy. They cannot go more than a few hours without a meal before risking starvation.
Typically, hummingbirds will eat:
- Every 10-15 minutes throughout the day
- Up to 60 times per day
- Multiple meals an hour
They consume the equivalent of 30-100% of their body weight in nectar each day. To put that into perspective, a 150 pound human would need to consume 45,000 to 150,000 calories per day to match a hummingbird’s intake. That’s between 15 to 50 pounds of food daily!
Hummingbirds are constantly foraging for nectar and pollen to meet their needs. They are essentially always either eating or looking for their next meal except when they are sleeping at night. Even then, they may wake up periodically to refuel.
What happens if a hummingbird doesn’t eat enough?
Given their extreme metabolism, hummingbirds are highly vulnerable to starvation and death if they cannot consume enough food.
If a hummingbird cannot eat for more than a few hours, it risks:
- Fatigue and weakness from lack of energy
- Torpor – a hibernation-like state to conserve energy
- Starvation and death within a day in extreme cases
During periods when fewer flowers are in bloom such as winter, some hummingbirds may enter torpor to conserve what little energy they have until more food is available. Their heart rate and metabolism slow dramatically.
Sufficient food is absolutely vital at all times for hummingbird survival. Providing hummingbird feeders with fresh nectar during seasonal changes and winter months can help hummingbirds conserve their limited energy for survival.
Do hummingbirds eat at night?
Hummingbirds generally do not eat at night for two reasons:
- Lack of flowers – The nectar-producing flowers that hummingbirds feed on are typically closed at night. There are some nocturnal flowers, but these are relatively rare.
- Torpor – To conserve energy when food is limited, hummingbirds will go into a torpor or deep sleep at night. Their metabolism and heart rate slows dramatically during torpor, reducing their energy needs overnight.
However, hummingbirds may occasionally wake up out of torpor to eat if food is available. For example, they may feed on artificial feeders under bright lights overnight.
So while hummingbirds don’t need to eat at night thanks to torpor, they certainly will take advantage of food opportunities when possible.
Key Takeaways
- Hummingbirds have extremely fast metabolisms and need to consume 3,000-7,000 calories daily – more than their body weight.
- They eat 5-20 meals and visit hundreds to thousands of flowers daily for nectar and pollen.
- Hummingbirds need to eat every 10-15 minutes throughout the day to avoid starvation.
- Access to food is critical at all times. Lack of eating for just hours can be fatal.
- They enter an energy-saving torpor at night when flowers are unavailable.
In summary, hummingbirds are near-constant eaters during daylight hours. Their survival depends on having a consistent and abundant food supply all day long in the form of nectar and pollen from flowers. Providing artificial feeders can help supplement their high nutritional needs.