Where do hummingbirds go when the weather is severe (high winds, snow, ice, etc…)?
This is an incredibly good article which should reassure you: Won’t a hummingbird die in the cold? Many western hummingbirds are remarkably tolerant of sub-freezing (and even, for a few days, sub-zero) temperatures. This makes sense, since many of them nest in cold climates, including elevations near timberline in the Rockies or Cascades, or as far north as southcentral Alaska. Rufous hummingbirds may return to their nesting grounds in Alaska or British Columbia as early as April, when the snow still lies deep in the forest. One important adaptation these western hummingbirds possess – and which the eastern ruby-throated hummingbird lacks – is the ability to go into a deep, hibernation-like torpor on cold nights, as a way of saving energy. The hummingbird will find a perch for the night, fluff its feathers and dramatically lower its body temperature from a normal high of about 102 F to just 54 F. To all appearances, the hummer looks dead, frozen to the branch, but come morning it will
This is an incredibly good article which should reassure you: Won’t a hummingbird die in the cold? Many western hummingbirds are remarkably tolerant of sub-freezing (and even, for a few days, sub-zero) temperatures. This makes sense, since many of them nest in cold climates, including elevations near timberline in the Rockies or Cascades, or as far north as southcentral Alaska. Rufous hummingbirds may return to their nesting grounds in Alaska or British Columbia as early as April, when the snow still lies deep in the forest. One important adaptation these western hummingbirds possess – and which the eastern ruby-throated hummingbird lacks – is the ability to go into a deep, hibernation-like torpor on cold nights, as a way of saving energy. The hummingbird will find a perch for the night, fluff its feathers and dramatically lower its body temperature from a normal high of about 102 F to just 54 F. To all appearances, the hummer looks dead, frozen to the branch, but come morning it will
Related Questions
- My collection day is tomorrow and the weather forecaster has predicted snow / sleet / ice / hurricane. What should I do?
- Is there a severe liability to falling snow and ice? How real is threat of falling snow and ice?
- Where do hummingbirds go when the weather is severe (high winds, snow, ice, etc...)?
