Jill Davis; Rufous Hummingbird
HUMMINGBIRD HAVEN
Hi Friends, this blog post comes from a comment made by Becky, a subscriber of Alaska Wild Adventures. She asked “Do Hummingbirds travel on the backs of Geese as they migrate?” That is a very valid question becuase many people have wondered including myself how such a tiny bird with little wings could migrate all the way from Mexico to Alaska and back? Especially how much Hummingbirds need to eat and how much food they burn. Well in response to the question I did some research and came up with an answer.
The annual migration of Rufous Hummingbirds in Alaska starts in April and May. I put Hummingbird feeders out for the families of Hummingbirds that live and migrate through Kodiak. Some birds stay here all summer and feed and nest, and some are just passing through. We have anywhere from 12-24 Hummingbirds here at a time. Rufous Hummingbirds migrate from Mexico and Central America all the way to Alaska. An old wives tale says that they travel on the backs of Geese and Swans, but that is not true. Rufous Hummingbirds make one of the longest bird migrations of close to 2,700 miles. They weigh aprox 4.5 grams which 2 of that is body fat. They can fly non-stop for up to 26 hours on their fat storage. At speeds up to 25 miles per hour that is a range of 606 miles according to a study done by R.C. Lasiewski.
It is 2700 miles from Mexico to Alaska. Hummingbirds would need at least 4 stops to re-fuel their reserves. It takes the birds a week to restore their bodies for another leg of their journey. That means it takes them aprox 4-8 weeks to make their migration.
The Hummingbirds that come to Kodiak got to know and trust us. They are so tame that they sit in our open hands. They are a beautiful bird that amazes me with their speed and agility.
George holding a hummingbird
We enjoy watching the migratory birds and think it is extra special when we make a connection such as this one where the birds are so friendly they let us hold them in our hands. Not many other species of birds can you do that with, and it is not recommended. Other birds we enjoy would be too numerous to list and we will be doing stories on these different birds. Just to name a few for now, Puffins, Murrelets, and Oystercatchers. So stay tuned for more posts on the wonderful migratory birds of Alaska.
Watch Episode 1 of Alaska Wild Adventures and you will see how the hummingbirds frequent our feeder!
http://www.alaskawildadventures.tv/episodes/episode-1
Thank you and have a great day, Jill Davis from the Wilds of Alaska!
Tags: Alaska, Alaska Wild Adventures, birds, Davis, fishing, fly, free, free movie, free video, free videos, George, George Davis, Icy Bay, Jill, Jill Davis, Jill Davis , Lost Coast, movies, recipes, river, tours, Videos, wild, wildlife, yahtse
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