Here is a video of a sleeping hummingbird:
The bird is in a special container to measure its oxygen consumption, and it was safely released after the experiment.
The students who performed these experiments also took pictures while they were gathering birds to observe.
Baby Sunangel
Violet-throated Starfrontlet
Chestnut-breasted Coronet
(all images from photobucket)
PBS made an amazing show about hummingbirds called Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air. They utilized special cameras to capture the birds fast movements. These birds are fascinating creatures, and so is learning about what it took to make this show a reality. Here is a behind the scenes on the project from the nature podcast:
Hummingbirds are the smallest warm blooded creature, and they beat their wings 200 times every second. They are cute, beautiful, and a bit mysterious.
Picture from Catherine Sherman
Picture from National Geographic
You can see the show, look behind the scenes, and learn more at pbs.org.
