There is a great diversity of bird here on Earth; some are swift fliers, others cannot fly at all, while others are brightly colored or incredibly tiny. The smallest bird known to man is almost insect sized and a species of hummingbird. Hummingbirds are a fascinating variety of bird as they lay the world’s smallest bird eggs and most weigh less than an ounce, however, they are little but powerful, with records of up to 45 mph speed and the ability to cross the Gulf of Mexico, a nonstop 20-hour travel. These miniature birds known as hummingbirds due to the sound that their wings produce in flight is part of the avian family Trochilidae. There are many distinctive shared derived characteristics of hummingbirds, such as their dazzling gorgets, or the light reflecting feathers found on the bird’s throat or chest, their amazing hovering abilities and strong wings, and their long needle-like specialized bill (Smithsonian). Their highly specific bills are used for feeding on certain flowers that must have nectar high in sugar content, be tubular shaped, red or orange in color, may face downwards, and have long stamen for pollen distribution (Smithsonian).
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They hypothesized that the difference in bill curvature between the sexes would be greater for the species with the longest bills and questioned if this dimorphism is formed through sexual selection or natural selection (Temeles, Miller, and Rifkin). This research is crucial because it could explain the diversity in hummingbird species and seeks to understand the forces that have and continue to shape the formation of
They hypothesized that the difference in bill curvature between the sexes would be greater for the species with the longest bills and questioned if this dimorphism is formed through sexual selection or natural selection (Temeles, Miller, and Rifkin). This research is crucial because it could explain the diversity in hummingbird species and seeks to understand the forces that have and continue to shape the formation of