More About Hummingbirds

Researchers from the University of Alberta, Canada, have pinpointed the section of the tiny bird's brain that may be responsible for its unique ability to stay motionless in midair.These little birds are staying perfectly stationary in space for long periods of time, despite the fact that their wings are beating almost 75 times per second.

Dr Wong Wylie and Dr. Iwaniuk found that a specific nucleus - one that detects any movement of the entire visual world - was 2 to 5 times bigger in the hummingbird than in any other species, relative to the brain size. The hummingbird's brain is about the size of a grain of rice.

If you want to make sure you stay stationary, you just have to make sure nothing on the retina moves.

That's what this nucleus does, said Dr. Wong Wylie.

Dr. Wong Wylie has been fascinated with hummingbirds for as long as he can remember, not only because they hover, but they are the only bird that can fly backwardfs.

This is a lovely post. Thank you for sharing the information. I have always been intrigued by these little birds, although we don't see them too often in Canada. Summer is really the only time.

Love,
yoko

These really are beautiful, remarkable creatures!



To be fluttered to death - in a good way.. he he.. - go here:


HeathersAnimations.com/humming.html

These are also beautiful:


home.centurytel.net/Arkcite/hek1.htm

Love and FLIGHT being, Teo Do (Re, Mi, Far....)

Thank you yoko and Teo.

I love the images.

My neighbour at the cottage has a hummingbird feeder, so I am lucky to see some of these tiny birds almost every summer.

Thank you for this beautiful post and the nice pictures.

Love,
Vicky [IMG]

Thank you for the update.
I get the hummingbirds in my garden as well in the summer. They are really amazing little birds.

Love,
Sue

Thank you for the nice post and all the beautiful pictures.

Sincerely,
Gisele

I still like this and the other hummingbird post.

Some facts about hummingbirds:

They are small and colourful with iridescent feathers. They flap their wings about 80 times per second, and this makes a humming noise. They can fly right, left, up down, backwards, and even upside down. They can also hover by flapping their wings in a figure 8 pattern. Their bill is long and tapered so they can get nectar from the center of long, tubular flowers. Hummingbirds use their feet for perching only, and not for hopping or walking.