Pollinator Spotlight: Hummingbirds

By SLCgreen Intern Kate Kuwahara

Let’s celebrate National Pollinator Week with a special guest: the hummingbird!

Hummingbirds are amazing creatures with many extraordinary abilities and are one of many essential pollinators. Other pollinators include birds, bats, moths, flies, butterflies, beetles, wasps, and of course, the most well-known pollinator: the bee, of which there are over 20,000 species worldwide.

Pollinators play the important role of transferring pollen from plant to plant or flower to flower. This is required for the pollination process which happens when the pollen grain moves from the anther (male part) to the stigma (female part) and is necessary to produce seeds, fruits and a new generation of plants.

Pollinators are vital not only to the reproduction process for three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and around 35% of the world’s food crop, but they also support diverse ecosystems and enrich biodiversity. Other environmental benefits of pollination include improving air quality by promoting carbon cycling, maintaining healthy soil and water quality and increasing soil carbon storage.

Hummingbirds are unique and incredibly adapted pollinators. They have long slender bills and tube-like tongues which allows them to drink nectar from certain types of flowers. They are found all throughout the Western hemisphere, although their location may vary with the season. They have a very high metabolism which is maintained by the nectar they drink and the insects they eat on the go. Their wings can beat up to 80 times per second, allowing for mid-air suspension and they can lap nectar with their tongues up to 18 times per second!

Hummingbirds have many other fascinating abilities. They are the only bird that can fly forwards, backwards, sideways and upside down. Some hummingbirds migrate great distances from summer to winter and vice versa. For example, the Rufous Hummingbird flies 3000 miles from Alaska to Mexico twice a year. The hummingbird is also the tiniest bird in the world, but its heart is 5 times bigger than a human in proportion to its body.

The hummingbird, like many other pollinators, is at risk due to habitat destruction, climate change, dangerous pesticide usage and parasites/disease. With changing weather patterns and environmental degradation, the vitality of both pollinators and the plants and crops that rely on them is threatened. This means that it is incredibly important to create and sustain pollinator habitats. Habitats should include diverse, native flowering plants, additional vegetation, undisturbed areas for nesting and minimal pesticide use. Hummingbirds are attracted to brightly colored flowers and will also visit specialized feeders. Feeders should be kept clean and filled with a simple sugar syrup, free from honey and food coloring.

Pollinator habitats in and around SLC

The Miller Park Bird Refuge is located near Sunnyside Avenue in Salt Lake City and was recently reconstructed to create optimal habitats, improve water quality and attract wildlife. The park totals 8.75 acres and provides a great way for the public to observe various wildlife of all types.

The Conservation Garden Park, created by the Jordan Valley Water Conservation District and located in West Jordan, models sustainable water usage in Utah landscapes and provides community education on a range of topics related to water conservation. Among various exhibits dedicated to water wise landscaping, irrigation and planting, there is a specific exhibit where visitors can observe pollinators in their optimal habitats.

Red Butte Garden, in Salt Lake City, is one of the nation’s leading botanical gardens with over 21 acres of display gardens and 5 miles of hiking trails. This interactive plant map helps to locate various types of plants and offers the potential to see some pollinators in action. The Wasatch Penstemon and Claret Cup Cactus are currently in bloom and are top attractors for hummingbirds. The Red Butte Conservation and Research Department focuses on the conservation of rare plants, developing useful plants, and improving wild land development. They emphasize the importance of biodiversity both for current well-being and health as well as for the future.