Hummingbird, Costa Rica 15 Jun 2017
About this photo
A Hummingbird hovers as it feeds on a nectar-laden bloom in Costa Rica. There are more 54 species of brightly-hued hummingbirds in Costa Rica, of which only four are endemic. The hover motion is unique to hummingbirds, made possible by their high metabolic rate; their hearts beat at 1260 beats per minute.
To preserve their energy reserves gained throughout the day from nectar, hummingbirds enter a state known as Torpor at night, a type of hibernation. Heartbeats lower to 50-80 beats per minute in comparison to over 1000 during the day. Body temperatures also reduce from 40 degrees during the day to 18 at night. Spend hours spotting colourful hummingbirds on Insight Guides' Costa Rica's Wild South trip.
This article was originally published on 12 October, 2015
