Hummingbirds and pollination
At rest, a hummer’s
heart beats an
average of 480 beats
per minute. On cold
nights, it goes into
torpor (hibernation¬
like state), and its
heart rate drops to
45 to 180 beats per
minute.
Flowers and
hummingbirds
have a mutualistic
relationship where
both benefit. Flowers
produce food in the
form of nectar (sugar
and water) to attract
hummingbirds that,
in turn, move pollen
for the plant
(pollination).
Ruby-throated
Hummingbird
feeding on the
nectar and pollen
of blueberry flowers
What is pollination?
Pollination is the process of moving pollen
(male gamete) from one flower to the ovary of another
flower of the same species, which produces fertile seeds.
Almost all flowering plants need to be pollinated.
Some plants are pollinated by wind or water, and
some are even self-pollinating. However, most
flowering plants depend on bees, hummingbirds,
and other animals for pollination.
Keystone species
We call hummingbirds and other pollinators
keystone species because they are a species upon which
others depend. For example, when a hummingbird
feeds on the nectar and pollen of blueberry flowers, it
pollinates the flowers that will produce fruit eaten by
songbirds, black bears, and dozens of other animals,
including humans.
Pollinators are vital to maintaining healthy
ecosystems. They are essential for plant reproduction
and produce genetic diversity in the plants they
pollinate. The more diverse plants are, the better they
can adapt to changes in the environment.
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