Desert Wonder Tracker: Hummingbird Power Nap

The December desert offers a few winter blooming surprises and two of them are in our back yard. This year, our agave filifera plant sent up an eight foot stalk and is now showing off row after row of magnificent blossoms. Where there are fresh blossoms, there are often hummingbirds slurping up the nectar through their grooved tongues. Our blooms quickly attracted a feisty Anna's Hummingbird, a year round resident of our area.

Hummingbirds are packed with mind blowing design. They are the only birds known to have the ability to fly forward, backward and hover. These tiny birds zip to and fro, finding food to feed their voracious appetites or courageously chasing off territorial intruders. Their little hearts beat 1,260 times per minute and their wings flap an astounding 40-50 times per second! They burn through so much energy that they are literally hours from death at any given moment. They need almost constant access to high energy nectar or insects to survive.

Many species of hummingbirds can live and feed in warm or cold weather, but even they need a well-earned time-out from their feeding frenzies. That's precisely when a tricky design stunt known as torpor comes in handy. Torpor is a short period of very deep sleep or "mini" hibernation. Unlike animals that hibernate for weeks or months, a hummingbird with a limited food supply can enjoy a period of deep sleep every day. The hummingbird can temporarily enter a state of torpor, a time in which the heart slows dramatically, and the bird can appear dead. Body temperature drops and only a fraction of its awake time energy is needed.

Although it is fairly unusual, if you ever come across a lifeless hummingbird, be careful not to disturb it. It may just be in a state of torpor. You may want to research some of the hummingbird's other design features by setting up a feeder near a window where you can watch these amazing birds zip through the air, hover, perch and feed. Learn how to make Hummingbird food and keep the feeder clean and full. Another way to help the hummingbirds and enjoy watching them is to cultivate plants with nectar-rich blossoms in your yard. Arizona Sonora Museum offers a list of plants, as well as information about how to attract hummingbirds to your yard.