Mexico/Sinaloa: El Fuerte – Hummingbirds
El Fuerte surprised by being a place to observe the aerial acrobatics of hummingbirds. Turns out, El Fuerte is known in birding circles as the hummingbird capital of Mexico, with nearly 30 species recorded here, second only to 150 species variety of Ecuador. You can observe the birds at several of the upscale restaurants and hotels that hang special sugar water feeders for them. Going back to pre-Hispanic days, hummingbirds were celebrated by the indigenous Indian tribes around El Fuerte and up to this day appear on many pieces of traditional art. It’s mesmerizing to watch this tiny birds hanging in midair making 50 flaps per second, and maintaining speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour, and also able to fly backwards. Hummingbirds can fly insane distances of up to 800 km without stopping during their annual migrations, in fact they are the smallest migrating birds in the world. Hummingbirds only measure 6-15 cm, weigh less than a coin, and feed on nectar and small insects, they can consume up to double their body weight in a day. Hummingbirds drink the nectar in sugar water feeders by moving their tongue in and out about 13 times per second.
