Book 4, Question 66 · Video
Why Do Hummingbirds Hover?
Hovering lets a hummingbird drink from a flower that cannot hold its weight! The bird is a tiny helicopter with a straw. It hangs in the air while it sips.
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hey there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do hummingbirds hover?
The Big Idea
Hovering lets a hummingbird drink from a flower that cannot hold its weight! The bird is a tiny helicopter with a straw. It hangs in the air while it sips. Feeders work, but real blossoms feed many other pollinators too.
Find Nectar
Step one: find the nectar. A hummingbird spots a tube-shaped flower. The flower is too small to land on. Red tube flowers are popular, but hummingbirds visit many kinds.
Wings Hum
Step two: the wings hum. The wings beat in a figure-eight pattern. That makes lift on the way forward, and on the way back, so the body can hang in place. That is why the wings look like a blur.
Bill Sips and Dart
Step three: the bill sips, then the bird darts away. The long bill reaches in for the sweet nectar. Then the bird makes a quick dash to the next bloom. Hummingbirds sip with a long tongue, like a little straw.
A Closer Look
Let's take a closer look at hover wings! The wings trace a figure-eight path in the air. The tiny feet are for perching, not for hovering. The long bill works like a straw. And the flower is the reward that is worth the hovering.
Quick Facts
Quick facts! Some hovering uses more than fifty wingbeats in one second. Hummingbirds eat insects too, not only sugar water. Feeders must be cleaned often, or they can make birds sick. Glass windows are a crash risk, so markers on the glass help.
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! With a grown-up, watch a feeder or a tube-shaped flower. Does the bird perch, or hang in the air? What is the flower offering that is worth so much work? Write down what you saw.
Outro
Next time you see a tiny blur at a flower, you will know the secret. Hummingbirds are the tiny helicopters of the forest. Stay curious! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!