The spatula tailed hummingbird is a unique and fascinating bird found in certain parts of South America. As their name suggests, these tiny birds have tail feathers that are flattened and shaped like spatulas or paddles. This distinctive tail gives them excellent maneuverability and allows them to make sudden turns and movements in midair.
Spatula tailed hummingbirds are classified in the genus Heliomaster and are part of the trochilidae family of hummingbirds. There are four recognized species: the Crimson-bellied Woodstar, the Blue-tufted Starthroat, the Purple-crowned Plovercrest, and the Black-bellied Thorntail. They inhabit various types of forest and woodland areas and scrublands. Their range extends through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.
These agile little birds have captured people’s imaginations with their specialized tails and aerial skills. But there is much more to learn about spatula tailed hummingbirds and their behaviors, habitats, biology, and conservation. This article will provide an in-depth look at the key facts and frequently asked questions about these unique birds.
What does a spatula tailed hummingbird look like?
The most obvious distinguishing feature of these hummingbirds is the unique paddle-shaped tail. The tail feathers are specially adapted to be wide, stiff, and asymmetrically tapered. This provides excellent maneuverability and midair agility. The tails do vary somewhat between species.
Overall, these hummingbirds range in size from 8 to 13 cm in length and weigh 2 to 7 grams. They have long, slender bills adapted for drinking nectar. Their small bodies are compact and muscular to provide the energy for rapid wing beats and aerobatic flight.
Plumage colors and patterns vary across the four species. The Crimson-bellied Woodstar has an emerald green head and back with a bright crimson belly. The Blue-tufted Starthroat has a purplish-blue throat patch and elegant head tuft. The Purple-crowned Plovercrest has vibrant violet plumage on its head and underparts. The Black-bellied Thorntail has a velvety black underside that contrasts sharply with its green upperparts.
Interesting Facts about Appearance
– The spatulate or paddle-shaped tail contains only 6 feathers instead of the typical 10 feathers in most hummingbird tails. This provides maximum surface area for maneuvering.
– Male and female spatula tailed hummingbirds look alike (sexual monomorphism). Many hummingbird species show bright plumage differences between the sexes.
– Their slender, specially adapted tongues can extend up to 8 cm to reach nectar inside flowers.
– They have incredibly high metabolisms and heart rates required for sustained hovering and rapid flight. Their hearts can beat up to 1,260 times per minute.
Where do spatula tailed hummingbirds live?
Spatula tailed hummingbirds occupy diverse habitats across northern South America where suitable flowers provide nectar. Their range extends through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.
The Crimson-bellied Woodstar inhabits dry subtropical forest and scrubland. It occurs mainly in northwestern Venezuela but has expanded its range southward in recent decades.
The Blue-tufted Starthroat occupies open woodlands, second growth forests, and scrublands. Its range extends along the Andes mountains from western Venezuela to Bolivia.
The Purple-crowned Plovercrest inhabits the eastern Andes slopes in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. It mainly occupies forest edge and clearings with flowering shrubs and trees.
The Black-bellied Thorntail occurs in arid scrublands and dry forests on the western slopes of the Andes in Peru and Chile. It can adapt to disturbed habitats if flowers are available.
Across their range, these agile hummingbirds prefer habitats that provide the nectar-rich flowering plants essential for their high-energy lifestyle. The abundance of suitable habitat helps determine their population densities in different areas.
Notable Habitats
– Montane forests in the Andes mountains that have bloom seasons supporting nectar needs.
– Dry subtropical woods and scrublands that provide cavities for nesting.
– Forest edges, clearings, and second growth that create open areas interspersed with flowers.
– Arid habitats with flowering cacti and other drought-adapted plants that provide nectar sources.
What do spatula tailed hummingbirds eat?
Like all hummingbirds, spatula tailed species get most of their nutrition from drinking nectar from flowers. Their specialized tongues and beaks allow them to lap up the sugary nectar that provides their main energy source.
They also capture small insects such as spiders, flies, and aphids to obtain protein, vitamins, and minerals. Insects are especially important to provide enough nutrition for breeding and raising chicks.
Some key nectar plants utilized include:
– Bromeliads – These flowering plants native to the Americas provide reliable nectar from their tough waxy flowers adapted to arid conditions.
– Passionflowers – These striking vining flowers produce abundant nectar and attract insects that hummingbirds prey on.
– Honeysuckles – These vines and shrubs flower prolifically, making them excellent hummingbird habitat.
– Fuschias – These hanging flowers with showy red and purple blossoms are a favorite hummingbird magnet.
– Salvia – The red tubular flowers of this genus are perfectly suited for a hummingbird’s long beak and tongue.
Foraging Behaviors
– Modifiable tongues – Their tongues contain tiny fringes that can open to collect more nectar when needed.
– Aggressive defense of flowers – Males will aggressively chase other birds from favorite nectar supplies.
– Energy efficiency – At night they go into torpor to conserve energy. Their metabolic rate drops dramatically.
– Migration for food – Some populations migrate to follow changes in flower availability.
How do spatula tailed hummingbirds fly and hover?
The characteristic that truly sets hummingbirds apart is their incredible flying skills and sustained hovering ability. The unique adaptations of spatula tailed hummingbirds allow them to perform complex aerial maneuvers.
They have wings specialized for agility and precision. Their wings can beat up to 70 times per second, allowing them to fly forwards, backwards, and upside down. The wide paddle-shaped tail provides lift and support for hovering in place while feeding.
Several key adaptations enable their specialized flight:
– Lightweight skeletons – Their lightweight, minimalist bones reduce body weight for energy-efficient flight.
– Compact muscle mass – A larger percentage of their small bodies is devoted to flight muscles driving the wings.
– Rotating shoulders – They can rotate their shoulders to produce optimum lift on both the up and down stroke.
– Aerodynamic bill – Their streamlined, pointed bill reduces drag and turbulence in flight.
– High metabolism – Very rapid metabolic rate provides energy for sustained muscle exertion.
Hovering and Maneuvering
– Hovering – They can maintain a fixed hovering position by precisely balancing thrust and lift forces. This allows them to feed while remaining stationary.
– Backwards flight – Their flexible wings allow them to efficiently fly backwards as needed to maneuver.
– Aerial dogfights – Males will engage in intense hovering battles over territory and flowers, requiring complex flying skills.
– Aggressive dives – They use speedy diving attacks to drive intruders away from their territory or food source.
How do spatula tailed hummingbirds reproduce and raise young?
Spatula tailed hummingbirds have breeding behaviours that are precisely adapted to their small size and high-energy lifestyles. They build very small nests, lay only two eggs, and the chicks develop rapidly. Here are some key facts about their reproduction:
– Males attract females by establishing nectar-rich territories and performing elaborate courtship dances in flight near the female.
– The nest is tiny and compact, only around 2.5 cm wide and tall. It is built by the female using soft plant fibers and spider silk, bound with sticky saliva, and camouflaged with lichens.
– She lays just two tiny white eggs, only about the size of a coffee bean. Incubation lasts 14 to 19 days.
– Chicks hatch out completely helpless. They develop very rapidly on a diet of regurgitated nectar and insects from the parents.
– Chicks leave the nest at 20 to 26 days old, but still rely on parental feeding for another 3 to 4 weeks.
– Females raise 1 to 2 broods per year, more in optimal conditions with abundant food.
– Males are promiscuous and do not assist with parental duties. Their contribution is establishing breeding territories to attract females.
Parenting Behaviors
– Nest defense – Parents aggressively chase away threats to protect their investment. They may feign injury to distract potential predators from the nest.
– Frequent feeding – The chicks require feeding every 10 to 15 minutes. Parents make hundreds of feeding trips daily.
– Thermoregulation – Parents brood nestlings frequently to keep them warm in cool weather. They may also shade chicks from excessive sun.
– Anti-nest parasite behavior – Parents keep their nest meticulously clean to avoid mite or fly infestations.
What ecological roles do spatula tailed hummingbirds play?
Despite being tiny, hummingbirds like the spatula tailed species play vital roles in the ecosystems where they live. Here are some of the key ecological functions they perform:
Pollination
– As hummers forage for nectar, they transfer pollen between flowers. This pollination service is vital for plant reproduction and diversity. Their ability to access tubular blossoms makes them essential pollinators for some specialized flowers.
Insect population control
– By preying on tiny insects for protein, they help regulate insect populations that can damage plants if unchecked. This also provides pest control benefits for gardens and agriculture.
Seed dispersal
– Nectar feeding leads to incidental movement of pollen and seeds from place to place. This helps plants spread to new locations.
Nutrient cycling
– Their nitrogen-rich droppings contribute important nutrients back into the ecosystem. This benefits soils and plant growth.
Indicator species
– Sensitive to environmental conditions, hummer populations indicate ecosystem health. Declines may signal issues like habitat loss, climate change, or pesticide use.
Specialized Roles
– Essential pollinators – Up to 30% of plant species in some communities rely on hummingbirds as pollinators.
– Nectar robbers – They can perforate flowers with their bills to “steal” nectar not reachable by tongues alone. This extracts nutrients other animals cannot access.
– Forest community interactions – Compete with insects and bees for food, while being prey for small hawks and snakes. Connected in the ecological web.
– Adaptable generalists – Can move into disturbed areas and utilize gardens and parks, demonstrating their flexibility.
What are some cool facts about spatula tailed hummingbirds?
Beyond their unique tails, there are many surprising and fascinating facts about these energetic little birds:
– Their tongues have forked tips that lap up nectar. When retracted, the tongues coil up like a garden hose inside their bill.
– They have 1,400 taste buds compared to humans’ 10,000. But they have almost no sense of smell.
– To conserve energy at night, they go into torpor, lowering their metabolism by 95% and heart rate to 50-180 beats per minute.
– Their feet and legs are so diminutive that they can’t walk or hop, only perch or cling to surfaces.
– Their wings can beat up to 70 times per second and rotate in a full circle. This allows them to fly in any direction.
– They produce a high-pitched chipping and twittering to communicate, but these vocalizations are rarely heard by human ears.
– They have excellent memory and regularly return to productive feeding locations year after year as they migrate or patrol territories.
– Male spatula tails perform dramatic aerial courtship dances to impress females, diving and looping at high speeds.
– They aggressively defend nectar resources in their territory, chasing away bats, bees, and even larger birds from feeders.
Species | Size | Range | Habitat |
---|---|---|---|
Crimson-bellied Woodstar | 10 cm, 4-6 grams | Venezuela | Scrubland, dry subtropical forest |
Blue-tufted Starthroat | 12 cm, 6-7 grams | Venezuela to Bolivia | Woodlands, scrub, open habitats |
Purple-crowned Plovercrest | 8 cm, 2-3 grams | Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador | Forest edge, clearings |
Black-bellied Thorntail | 10 cm, 3-4 grams | Peru, Chile | Arid scrublands, dry forests |
What threats do spatula tailed hummingbirds face?
Though spatula tailed hummingbirds remain fairly common overall, some concerning threats put pressure on populations:
– Habitat loss – Logging, agriculture, urbanization destroys the forests and scrublands where they live and feed.
– Climate change – Hotter temperatures and drought may dry up nectar supplies critical for their survival. Expanding deserts can reduce habitat.
– Pesticides – Insecticides applied for mosquito or agricultural pest control can accumulate in the insects and nectar they consume.
– Window collisions – They frequently collide with reflective glass while investigating their reflected territories, flowers, or mates, often fatally.
– Range restrictions – Small habitat ranges of some species like the Crimson-bellied Woodstar make them more vulnerable.
Conservation Actions
– Protect key intact habitats like Andean cloud forests that provide ecosystem niches.
– Allow marginal lands like pastures to naturally regenerate woody growth.
– Reduce or eliminate non-essential pesticide usage in gardens and public green spaces.
– Install visible window markers to prevent collisions. Inform the public.
– Further research key aspects like migration patterns, population genetics, and adaptability.
Conclusion
The spatula tailed hummingbird group provides a fascinating example of specialized evolutionary adaptations – in this case tails enabling unique flight agility and hovering ability. Beyond their distinctive tails, they exhibit many typical hummingbird characteristics from territorial behavior to specialized feeding and breeding strategies.
They fill important ecosystem roles as pollinators and insect controllers, while also serving as indicators of habitat integrity. While not currently endangered, habitat pressures make continued conservation actions important for the persistence of these unique Neotropical birds. Their remarkable hovering behavior and energetic interactions will hopefully continue to captivate people across South America.