United States
£ GBP
There's no greater thrill than spotting one of these tiny birds in the garden, and young readers will be fascinated by how this avian machine works. Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world, but they exploit every advantage that comes with their modest size. Exploring the World of Hummingbirds is a fully illustrated introduction to the hummingbird's high-performance lifestyle.
Built for efficiency and fueled with high-energy nectar, this bird runs at a high temperature during the daytime, its heart beating 650 beats a minute, and its dense feathers keep it warm at night as it rests. Most impressive, however, are its skills as an aerial acrobat. Like a helicopter, it can move forward, backward and sideways. When feeding from a blossom, it can hover in midair and then turn and whir away at full speed – all in two-tenths of a second.
Readers will find out how hummingbirds and flowers have evolved for their mutual success. They'll also discover intriguing facts about hummingbird biology, flight, mating and nesting behaviors, family life, migration, and just how a hummingbird achieves and maintains its dazzling, shimmering colors.
Tracy C. Read is an editor and writer with a special interest in nature and the environment.
"Provides a detailed description of these tiny birds ranging from 3 to 21 cm and weighing a mere 11 grams or less [...] The photography contained in Exploring the World of Hummingbirds is exquisite. The hummingbird appears in mid-flight on the cover, resplendent in all its colors. A gallery of hummingbirds illustrates the wide variety of pigmentation, from non-iridescent colors produced by chemicals to the iridescent ones that are structural. The anatomical structure is magnified and diagrammed. The search for nectar is even captured on the page."
– Judy Kraus, Science Scope Magazine on 01/12/2017
"An educational book written especially for young people ages 8-12. Eye-catching, full-color photographs of these beautiful, tiny, and energetic birds in flight, feeding, or raising their young fill this captivating browse [...] An index rounds out this choice pick for school and public library middle grade collections. Also highly recommended are the other titles in the Exploring the World series."
– Midwest Book Review on 01/11/2017
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