How does the hummingbirds incredibly high heart rate affect its metabolism?
Many species of hummingbirds live throughout the Americas, from Alaska to the tip of South America. These small birds vary in color, size and shape, but one trait they all share is a rapid heart rate.Heart RateHummingbirds’ heart rates speed up or slow down depending on their activity level. According to the Doctors Foster and Smith veterinary website, a ruby-throated hummingbird’s heart will beat 1,220 times per minute when the bird is flying but drop to 250 times per minute when the bird is resting.Other Body FunctionsHeart rate isn’t the only body function that’s exceptional in the hummingbird. These small birds also maintain high activity levels and high body temperatures.MetabolismMaintaining these high-energy body functions requires a lot of food. For a small body like the hummingbird’s to process such huge quantities of food, it must have a very high metabolism, converting the food to energy quickly.Meal FrequencyHummingbirds are voracious eaters, eating up to 10 meals each hour
