What is the orange billed hummingbird?

The orange billed hummingbird is a small yet stunning bird found in Central and South America. It gets its name from the male’s distinctive bright orange bill which contrasts beautifully against its emerald green plumage. Hummingbirds are known for their speed and agility, and their ability to hover in midair while drinking nectar from flowers. The orange billed hummingbird is a joy to observe with its dazzling colors and energetic movements. In this article we’ll explore the key characteristics, diet, habitat and distribution of this tiny and captivating bird.

What does the orange billed hummingbird look like?

The most distinctive feature of the orange billed hummingbird is, as the name suggests, the vibrant orange bill of the male. This borders a black tip. The female’s bill is more dark and straight. In terms of plumage, the male has bright emerald green upperparts and underparts. Its tail and wings are a duller green with a bronzy shine. The female is less vibrant with greenish upperparts and greyish underparts. She can be distinguished from the male by the white spots which appear on her throat and sides. Juveniles resemble adult females. The orange billed hummingbird reaches lengths of 7-9 cm with a wingspan of 4-5 cm. They weigh just 2-3 grams.

Colorful plumage

The male’s emerald green plumage appears iridescent in bright light. This is caused by the structure of the feathers, which have plates that refract light. When the viewing angle changes, the color appears to shift between green and gold. This makes the plumage seem to shimmer. The iridescence serves to attract females in the dim forest habitats where the birds live. The female’s more camouflaged greenish plumage helps conceal her when incubating eggs.

Tiny size

The orange billed hummingbird is a very small bird, though it is medium-sized compared to some hummingbird species. Its minuscule size allows it to hover in one spot to feed on nectar, and enables an extremely fast metabolism and high heart rate required for the energy demands of flight. The small body size also means the bird has a quick response time and can maneuver very rapidly in flight.

What is the range and habitat of the orange billed hummingbird?

The orange billed hummingbird is found in tropical Central and South America in Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and heavily degraded former forest. It occurs up to elevations of 800 m. This species flourishes in forests and woodland areas, where it prefers thick, dense undergrowth with many small trees and vines. Plenty of flowering plants are needed to provide nectar. The trees provide protected perching sites.

Central and South American distribution

As shown in the table, the orange billed hummingbird has a range spanning Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador in Central and South America. It occupies tropical lowland habitats in these regions.

Forest habitat preferences

The orange billed hummingbird thrives in tropical forests and woodlands where it can find:

• Dense undergrowth for nesting sites
• Lots of small trees and vines for perching
• Plentiful flowering plants such as heliconias for nectar
• Insects for protein
• Streams for bathing and drinking

The bird is very adaptable and can live in disturbed or degraded former forest areas, as long as some larger trees and dense vegetation remains.

What does the orange billed hummingbird eat?

The orange billed hummingbird has a diet consisting mainly of nectar and small insects:

Nectar

– Main food source
– Feeds on nectar from a variety of brightly colored tropical flowers
– Favorites include heliconias and ginger flowers
– Uses its specialized tubular tongue to drink nectar while hovering in front of flowers
– Visits many flowers per day for small meals

Insects

– Provides protein
– Eats small insects like flies, mosquitoes and spiders
– Captures insects in flight or picks them off leaves and branches

This diet provides the quick bursts of energy from nectar sugars that the hummingbird needs to maintain its hyperactive lifestyle. The insects offer essential proteins and nutrients. Having access to plenty of flowers and insects in its tropical forest home allows the orange billed hummingbird to flourish.

How does the orange billed hummingbird fly and hover?

The orange billed hummingbird is a fast and remarkably agile flyer, capable of forward flight at speeds over 35 mph. It can also hover in one spot by rapidly flapping its wings around 70 times per second. This allows it to stay suspended while feeding on flower nectar. Some key features enable this specialized flying ability:

Wings

– Small, lightweight wings beat extremely fast
– Allow the bird to hover and fly in all directions with precision

Aerodynamics

– Streamlined, compact body minimizes air resistance
– Long, tapered tail provides stability and control

Muscles and metabolism

– Powerful flight muscles make up 25% of body weight
– Very high metabolism provides energy for flight
– Heart rate up to 1,260 beats per minute while flying

These adaptations allow the orange billed hummingbird to utilize its energy efficiently for sustained hovering and sudden acceleration in all directions when chasing insects or evading predators. The rapid wing beats produce the characteristic humming sound.

How does the orange billed hummingbird reproduce and nest?

The orange billed hummingbird mates and raises young in the dense tropical forest habitat. Key facts about its breeding and nesting include:

Mating

– Males display by diving and aerial chasing to impress females
– Polygamous – males mate with multiple females
– No long term pair bonds formed

Nesting

– Female builds a small cup nest out of soft plant down, spider webs and lichen
– Places nest on high slender branch, attached with spider webs
– Lays 2 tiny white eggs
– Incubates eggs for 14-19 days
– Nesting period late winter to spring

Raising young

– Chicks hatch after 2-3 weeks
– Female feeds on insects to produce nutritious high protein crop milk
– Regurgitates crop milk to feed chicks
– Chicks fledge after 3 weeks
– Female continues care, feeding fledglings for 2 more weeks

The female invests significant energy in producing crop milk and caring extensively for the chicks. The nest site high in a tree helps conceal the young from predators.

What is the conservation status of the orange billed hummingbird?

The orange billed hummingbird is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Its population appears to be stable, and it has a relatively large range. Key facts about its conservation status:

Least Concern status

– Population presumed to be stable due to lack of evidence of any declines or substantial threats
– Has adapted well to some habitat degradation and disturbance
– Range is relatively large at over 50,000 sq km

Potential threats

– Habitat loss from deforestation, especially destruction of lowland forest
– Mining and pollution degrading its specialized forest habitat
– Climate change may reduce availability of nectar sources

Conservation actions

– Protect large intact areas of tropical lowland forest habitat
– Promote regeneration of native trees that provide food sources
– Set aside forest corridors to connect fragmented populations
– Support sustainable ecotourism appreciating the species

Targeted conservation approaches that maintain and reconnect intact forest ecosystems will give the best long term outlook for the orange billed hummingbird’s population health.

Fun facts about the orange billed hummingbird

Here are some fascinating facts about this tiny bird:

– Its tongue can dart in and out up to 13 times per second when feeding
– Hummingbird hearts beat at up to 1,260 bpm – faster than any other animal
– It can fly forwards, sideways, backwards, hover and even upside down
– Males make noisy dive displays to attract mates and defend territories
– The species name thalassinus means “green as the sea” in Latin
– Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards
– Their wings beat on a figure 8 pattern rather than just up and down
– At night they go into torpor, slowing their heart and metabolism dramatically to conserve energy

The physical capabilities and specialized adaptations of the orange billed hummingbird make it a truly incredible creature. Discovering more about this charismatic bird provides an appreciation for the diversity and wonder of nature.

Conclusion

With its bright orange bill and dazzling emerald plumage, the orange billed hummingbird is a jewel of the tropical forests it inhabits. This energetic and nimble bird has captivated ornithologists and nature enthusiasts. Its ability to hover and fly rapidly in all directions is powered by specialized adaptations like rapid wingbeats. The orange billed hummingbird plays an important role as a pollinator for many rainforest plant species, moving from flower to flower while feeding on nectar. While currently stable in population, protecting its lowland forest habitat will be crucial for the conservation of this species. The orange billed hummingbird illustrates the rich biodiversity found in tropical regions, and why protecting fragile ecosystems is so important.