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A comprehensive natural history of nature's smallest bird species. The tiny hummingbird has long been a source of fascination for birdwatchers and naturalists alike. They number 300 species and Ronald Orenstein has a passion for all of them. Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world. A hummingbird egg is the size of a pea, barely, and the chick that emerges will be smaller than a penny, if that. But these tiny birds pack a powerful engine: a hummingbird's heart beats more than 1,200 times per minute. Nicknamed the "avian helicopter", a hummingbird's wings beat from 70 times per second in direct flight, to more than 200 times per second when diving. Not surprisingly, that whirlwind of wing power creates a humming sound. To fuel such energy, hummingbirds must eat as much as eight times their body weight on a daily basis, which means visiting an average of 1,000 flowers -- every day -- to get enough nectar. Hummingbirds are found in North and South America, with the greatest number in Ecuador, although some species breed as far north as Canada. Most species migrate from Mexico to Alaska, a distance of more than 5,000 miles. In this book Orenstein covers all aspects of hummingbird natural history, their relationship with the plants on which they feed, the miracle of their flight, their elaborate social life and nesting behavior, and their renowned feats of migration. More than 170 color photographs of these magnificent creatures, taken in the wild, adorn the pages of Hummingbirds. Birders and natural history readers alike will gain new insight into the tiny bird and revel in the stunning images.
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Firefly Books (September 11, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1770854002
ISBN-13: 978-1770854000
Product Dimensions: 11 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #69,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #53 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Birds & Birdwatching > Field Guides #72 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Field Guides #350 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Fauna
Actually, I bought this for my daughter, whose grandmother loved hummingbirds (daughter has a tattoo of one in her honor). I'm sure the text is interesting, but I felt no need to read it. The photography is the draw. Stunning, stunning, stunning. Page after page. Would like to find a similar book on the birds of paradise.
Purchased this as a Christmas gift for my grandma who loves hummingbirds. It really is quite hard to find a good book on hummingbirds. Over the years I have purchased many for her and this is my favorite out of them all. (Hers too) Lots of beautiful pictures.
This is a beautifully photographed gift-or-coffee table style book for the hummingbird lover or admirer of nature's magnificent creatures. Who knew there was such a variety of hummingbirds? And yet in addition to the luscious photographs (which are well reproduced here in high quality printing) there is a great deal of excellent taxonomic research here that will provide insight into these astounding creatures.A good gift for someone who loves these winged jewels.
I bought this as a birthday present for, and had it shipped to, my mother who loves hummingbirds. I did not see the book myself, but she just loves it! She raved about the gorgeous pictures and all the information contained in the book. My review is based on her excitement and the vivid page by page descriptions she gave me over the phone. Maybe I'll have to get one for myself!
LOVE this book! It is FILLED with gorgeous photographs AND the information given is fascinating. Everyone should have this book in your library.
I got this book for my mom and it is fantastic. The pictures are stunning. The only thing that I would change is that the text is really small. It has a lot of great information, but a magnifying glass is helpful if you don't have eagle vision.
Awesome book in every way-- photography, text, information. If you like the little guys, this book's for you!
Beautiful book .... lovely photos and lots of interesting information
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