Hummingbird

If the foot of the hummingbird touches the ground, it signifies the end of the world

In the Dominican Republic, three species of hummingbirds live; let’s take a look at which ones these are and what characterizes them.

The first is the “Anthracothorax dominicus” or Dominican mango hummingbird. As its name suggests, it lives exclusively on the island of Hispaniola. However, it can be found almost everywhere here; its favorite spots are tropical and subtropical forests, and it also enjoys nesting in the gardens of Santo Domingo. The males are covered in a characteristic greenish-gold plumage.

The “Riccordia swainsonii” or Dominican emerald hummingbird is also solely a resident of the island. It prefers humid mountain forests and is more commonly found in higher elevations than in lower forests. It gets its name from its beautiful emerald green color.

Finally, we have the “Mellisuga mínima” or bee hummingbird, which is the second smallest bird in the world after the Cuban hummingbird. It can also be seen in the pictures of the blog post. Its body measures only 6 cm in length and weighs 2.4 grams. Its unique nest is cup-shaped and is covered with plant fibers, lichens, bark, and spider silk. It lays 2 eggs at a time, which are extremely tiny, measuring 1 cm in diameter and weighing 0.375 grams. The females and males look very similar, with a greenish metallic back, a pale green belly and chest, and a short beak and tail. They can be found all over the island of Hispaniola.

It may sound incredible, but they flap their wings 75-80 times per second and their hearts beat 1200 times per minute while flying. Hummingbird chicks typically hatch from their eggs in 15-21 days, depending on climate and species. Their average lifespan is around 3-5 years, but this can vary significantly; while many do not survive to even 1 year old, a 12-year-old hummingbird has been recorded. If you slow down a video of them, you can see that their wings move in a figure-eight pattern, which represents the infinity symbol in mathematics.

And finally, one more interesting fact: it is believed here on the island that if a hummingbird's feet touch the ground, it signals the end of the world.