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These hovering hummingbirds seem to be eating out of someone's hand!
What's
the Story?
Abigail Alfano,
who lives in Louisiana, wondered what it would feel like to touch a hummingbird.
So she hatched a plan.
-
For a few days in mid-September, she stood next to the hummingbird feeder, hoping the birds would get used to seeing her.
- Next,
she put her hand on the feeder, so the rubythroats would have to land
on her fingers if they wanted to drink. "I was amazed at how quickly
they did this," says Abigail.
- Next,
she filled a small red cap with sugar water and left it near the feeder.
They began to drink from it.
- Another day, she put the nectar-filled cap in her hand and sat very still. Here's what happened: "Within ten minutes, they were resting in my hands, drinking," says Abigail. "It was sheer delight for me! They are light as a feather . . . and simply beautiful. "
Some
things we still wonder. How can we find answers?
Look at our questions, below. Also make a list
of your questions on chart paper. Write one or more numbers next
to each question to show how you think it could be answered:
1. By experimenting or observing
2. By asking the observer
3. By reading or asking an expert
-
Our
Questions
- Would
other rubythroats be likely to eat out of a hand, or was this a special
case? (Perhaps these were just extra hungry or feeding up for their
long fall trip across the Gulf of Mexico. Or perhaps this was the only
food source for miles.)
- Would
rubythroats also come to a blooming red flower that someone held in
his or her hand?
- Are rubythroats naturally curious and unafraid of humans?
Did
you know . . . ?
Scientists have discovered that hummingbirds can easily learn about new
food sources they've never seen before. They do this, in part, by watching
other hummingbirds. That's good news! This helps them find food on long
migrations, and it helps them better adapt to habitats that we humans
have changed.
