Lucifer Hummingbird-
For the love of the hummingbird~
The Lucifer hummingbird mainly lives in central and northern Mexico. There are a few that reach the South western part of the
United States too every year. These beautiful hummingbirds habitat area's is mostly open and often a rugged place where the type of flowering is quite frequent of these hummers. These flowers are the Ocotillo and the Agave Stalks.
These hummingbirds are particularly attracted to the flowers of the Agave plants.The larger species of the Agave plants are adapted for pollination by bats and generally reduce the much more nectar than your average pollinating flower.
This could be the very reason why the Lucifer Hummingbird has adapted to these unique flowers. Because of the fact that they
produce so much more nectar than your average pollinating flower.
These Lucifer Hummingbirds take advantage of these amazing flowers by feeding on them during
the day-time; by feeding on any of the surplus nectar that is left inside these Agave flowers that the bats like to feed on at night.
Since the flowers of the Agave are designed so differently then your
typical hummingbird flower, the Lucifer Hummingbirds have become an acted part of these flowers. What this means is, because
they make no contact with the sexual parts of the flower! hehehe. Interesting you might say! Now the dead Agave flower stalks often attract other competing nectar feeders such as the carpenter bee's, which use the dead stalks as their nesting sites. Another interesting fact is!
When the bee's are present they may cut out the bases of the flowers, thus depleting the nectar supply for all pollinators.
You might be curious about the hummingbirds name? Well - The
Lucifer Hummingbird. It does have a biblical twist to it. Well that is just how he got his name, after the fallen archangel Lucifer who
was also known as the bearer of light, the torch bearer and the morning star.
For a little bit about the appearence and the unique courtship of theise hummingbirds-
We will start with the male- The male have dazzling purple throats and sides of the necks, buff-colored sides, and a long forked tail
that usually is tightly folded. The female- have a buff-colred breast and a pale streak behind the eye. The long, downward - curving bill of these hummingbirds is very distinctive, although the lenght and curvature of the bill can very greatly from each humming bird.
Courtship-
The courtship of the Lucifer hummingbirds is quite uniquie, because of the beautiful performs of the male. He will show off to his female mate while she sits in their nest.
These males will make multiple short flights back and forth and in so doing this at the same time will produce a loud, rustling
sounds with his wings. He then will fly high and dive steeply past the nest.
The Lucifer males are unusual in that they display all this at the nest site.
In most of the other hummingbirds the location of the nest has no
apparent connection to the display of this ritual. But to the Lucifer hummingbirds it is. These hummingbirds nests are usually found in open cholla cactus on ocotillo stems and the stalks up to ten feet high.
I found these hummingbirds to be
A bit more independent and a bit overly excited! As you can see in one of the pictures! Much love to you all my dear Readers and Followers in the coming new year.. Again Thank you so much for all
Your support. Without all you! I would not have this beautiful
Blog! ooooxxx)
Wendy...
