Here a scientist reads the numbered band on a male broad-tailed hummingbird. Climate change may affect this synchronization. Their migration flights to the north in the spring correspond to flowering times of native plants at their destination. Hummingbirds take epic flights that follow the coasts, the spine of the Rockies, or even across the Gulf of Mexico in a long-distance 18-to 22-hour, non-stop flight. Hummingbirds that breed in North America overwinter in Mexico, though migration corridors vary by species. In North America, ruby-throated hummingbirds populate the eastern United States common species in the west include broad-tailed, rufus, and black-chinned. About 26 species visit the United States during part of the year and 17 breed here. Most of the more than 300 species of hummers live in Central and South America. Hummingbirds are only found in the western hemisphere. As they pollinate the native wildflowers in parks and the plants in your garden, hummingbirds add a splash of color to our landscapes. As they move from plant to plant, they carry pollen. Hummingbirds drink up to two times their body weight per day. For protein, they eat insects caught on the fly. They have long, slender bills and tube-like tongues that they use to drink nectar from brightly-colored flowers this gives them the energy they need to fuel their high metabolism. Hummingbirds (family Trochilidae) are amazingly adapted pollinators. The Anna’s hummingbird stays year round in the northern Sonoran Desert.
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