Hummingbirds are remarkable little birds. Their extremely fast metabolism offers many benefits, including the ability to flap their wings at between 50 and 200 times per second, letting them reach speeds of up to 54 km per hour. They’re also one of the most maneuverable animals in the sky, and they can hover, fly backwards, and even fly upside down!
But there’s a heavy price to pay for these impressive abilities. Hummingbirds are among the smallest birds on the planet. And with this vulnerability comes many dangers that larger animals never even need to think about.
For example, in this video the hummingbird was grounded by a simple piece of gum. Struggling to flap its immobilized wing, the poor bird lies helpless in the grass.
Luckily, a friendly passerby manages to untangle the gum, while an accompanying three-year-old provides commentary.
At first the hummingbird struggles to escape the grasp of its rescuer, but eventually enters a state of torpor, slowing its metabolism to 1/15th of its normal state. This helps the bird conserve energy, and avoid further injury to its delicate wing.
After a few moments of rest, the bird flies off at the end of the video, apparently unharmed from the experience.
We tip our hats to the kind-hearted person who took the time to make sure this amazing bird got a second chance to hum!
