The ruby-throated hummingbird in today"s homepage image is snacking on some yellow bells in the Texas Hill Country, preparing for its long journey south for the winter. This time of year, the hummingbirds leave the northern latitudes of the eastern US and Canada, migrating to the warmer climes of Mexico and Central America. Along their route, many will cross the Gulf of Mexico in a single 500-mile flight, which can take 18-22 hours of nonstop flying at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. Tiny but fierce, the ruby-throated hummingbird weighs less than a nickel. It beats its wings about 53 times a second on average, but during courtship the wingbeat rate increases to 200 times per second, the fastest of any bird.
Tiny fliers head south
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence
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Land ho in New Zealand 250 years ago
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Halloween
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World Book Day
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What are we looking at?
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Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province, China
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Antarctica Day
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It s time to fall back
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Summertime in Alaska
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Cheetah in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
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Longer days mean warmer sand
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The dancing trees of Sumba Island
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In the Navajo Nation for Code Talkers Day
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Best fronds forever
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A bridge of Madison County
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A midsummer twilight s dream
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The Spirit of Harlem by Louis Delsarte
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Summer huts in winter
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A Flag Day tradition
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World Chocolate Day
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Rocky mountain pi
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Winter Olympics in Beijing
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National Merry-Go-Round Day
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A showcase for future fame
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We heart Berlin
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Modica, Sicily, Italy
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
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The Big Blue of the Sierra
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What s better than a smile?
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Racers pushing past sunflowers in the 2018 Tour de France