Why is the ability to hover useful to a hummingbird
Why Do Hummingbirds Hover? | Nat Geo Wild
[serene music playing]
MAN: Hummingbirds flap their wings
around 50 times a second, allowing them to feed in place.
It's like treading water, but in mid-air and at high speed.
It takes a lot of energy.
If they don't consume double their body weight in calories
every day, they won't survive.
[thunder cracking]
[water splashing]
Which is why as a massive storm approaches,
this hummer doesn't stop.
Most birds take cover in rain, but hummers do the. opposite.
[serene music playing]
[rain splashing]
[thunder rumbling]
[thunder cracking]
The cooler temperatures increase their metabolic rate,
and every drop of nectar is a matter of life or death.
As the storm clears, another male horns in on his territory.
[upbeat music playing]
He defends it with all he's got.
[upbeat music playing]
Success.
A good flower is worth fighting for.
Not just for food, but for love.
Nectar is a girl's best friend.
The gift of a flower will make him
very popular with the ladies.
