Purple Creek’s president lives with a fascination of hummingbirds that grew beyond the yearly ritual of feeding and observing these fascinating little birds. As Purple Creek was exploring our brand essence the hummingbird became an obvious choice. We love their whimsical and regal nature entwined into one magnificent bird. Showcasing their personalities with our models and jewery has became a wonderful journey for us.
We hope your love of them will increase as you experience them in our brand.
They truly are Natures Little Jewels.
Hummingbird Fun Facts
1
There are more than 325 unique hummingbird species in the world
2
A hummingbird’s wings beat between 70 and 200 flaps per second which translates to 4,200 to 12,000 flaps per minute
3
Hummingbirds digest natural sucrose - the sugar found in floral nectar - in 20 minutes with 97 percent efficiency for converting the sugar into energy
4
A hummingbird’s brilliant throat color is not caused by feather pigmentation, but rather by iridescence in the arrangement of the feathers
5
An average hummingbird’s heart rate is more than 1,200 beats per minute. In comparison, a human’s heart rate is only 60-100 beats per minute at rest
6
Many hummingbird species can breed together to create hybrid species. This is one factor that makes identifying hummingbirds very challenging
7
Hummingbirds cannot walk or hop, though their feet can be used to scoot sideways while they are perched
8
At rest, a hummingbird takes an average of 250 breaths per minute
9
Hummingbirds are an aggressive bird species. They will attack jays, crows and hawks that infringe on their territory
10
The bee hummingbird is the smallest hummingbird species in the world and measures 2.25 inches long. It is only found in Cuba.
11
The rufous hummingbird has the longest migration of any hummingbird species flying over 3,000 miles from Alaska and Canada to their winter habitat in Mexico
12
The bill of the sword-billed hummingbird can reach up to 4 inches long. It is so heavy that the birds perch holding their bills straight up. These birds hold the record for the longest bill relative to overall body size of any bird.
13
Hummingbirds have 1,000-1,500 feathers, the fewest number of feathers of any bird species in the world keeping them more lightweight for easier flight.
14
The ruby-throated hummingbird flies 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico during both its spring and fall migrations.
15
Hummingbirds are native species of the New World and not found outside of the Western Hemisphere. There are no native hummingbirds found in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia or Antarctica.
16
The average ruby-throated hummingbird weighs 3 grams. In comparison, a nickel weighs 4.5 grams.
17
Hummingbirds migrate individually and do not travel in seasonal flocks.
18
When hummingbirds sleep, they go into a hibernation-like state called Torpor. Their metabolism will lower to one-fifteenth (1/15) of normal. Their body temperature will drop to the point of becoming hypothermic.
19
A hummingbird’s maximum forward flight speed is 30 miles per hour. These birds can reach up to 60 miles per hour in a dive.
20
The average lifespan of a wild hummingbird is 3-12 years
21
Hummingbirds were associated with royalty and warriors in ancient Mexico
22
Hummingbirds lay the smallest eggs of all birds. Their eggs represent as much as 10 percent of the mother’s weight at the time the eggs are laid. A hummingbird egg is smaller than a jelly bean!
23
Hummingbirds have no sense of smell but have very keen eyesight. They can even detect ultraviolet rays.
24
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly different directions. They can hover forward, backward, sideways, in mid-air, and even upside-down!
25
A hummingbird must consume 1/2 of its weight in sugar daily, feeding 5-8 times per hour. In addition to nectar, they also east insects and spiders, sip tree sap and juice from broken fruits.
26
Hummingbirds to not suck nectar through their long bills, they lick it with fringed, forked tongues. Capillary action along the fringe of their tongue helps draw nectar up into their throats so they can swallow.
27
Nets of hummingbirds are the size of a walnut and woven together with sticky spider web threads.
