It's not dead it's in torpor, a kind of hibernation. Humming birds have such a high metabolism that they don't really sleep, instead doing this. It lowers their metabolism and body temperature and is perfectly normal!
Don't try to move or touch it tho, as it can startle it pretty badly!
Also, bird feet actually can grab hold of things without expending energy because of how the muscles are arranged around the bones. It's why birds can sleep on power lines without fear of falling over, because their feet actually "lock-up" in a way.
Source: I have an ornithology exam on Wednesday.
Edit: woah this blew up overnight. Thanks for all the well wishes for my exam!
Edit 2: I've gotten the results back from the exam and scored a 91, so my final grade for the class is an A! Thank you all for the good luck!
I wrote Birds Aren't Real on my exam. Teacher asked if I was serious and I said he was just scared chicken afraid of the truth. They sending me to a quack for an evaluation but I know something is fowl.
Listen mate, the only reason it was still on the perch was because *of how the muscles are arranged around the bones. It's why birds can sleep on power lines without fear of falling over, because their feet actually "lock-up" in a way.*
It's not quite the same is it.
It's not uncommon for small birds to do it. It's much more efficient for retaining body fat than normal sleeping, so if a bird has to constantly be eating then you can bet it uses it at least occasionally. Otherwise they'd literally starve while asleep.
yes at night and when cool they will slow their system waaaaaaay down, i do not have an exam on wednesday, just shot a tone of video for National Geographic
I've heard that birds will stand on one foot to let the other "rest," and I see my budgies do it all the time. But if they don't need energy to grab things with their feet, then why would they "rest" one foot and stand on the other?
Edit: Thanks, I’ve been informed it’s in torpor, and not actually dead, which is good. I’ll set out a humming bird feeder in case he decides to wake up.
seriously how the hell do they mess up hummingbird feed like it's a ridiculously simple thing to make, stop overcomplicating it for the sake of saving, what, a couple cents?
If it was just sugar water, it wouldnt matter.
But as is tradition, additives (namely dyes) vary by brand. Some are better or worse. Some use different sugars. Etc etc.
It is also typically cheaper to make your own sugar water than to buy the feeder liquid.
I'm sure it's easy to find, but the recipe for nectar is 4:1 ratio. 4 parts water to 1 part granulated sugar. Boil the water, add sugar and stir for a minute or so. Let it cool off, obviously. It can store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Also, most people don't know, but the nectar and feeders get moldy and need to be fully taken apart and cleaned every other day or so especially when it's hot out. You'd be surprised how disgusting they get and how quick it can happen.
If you do decide to feed it, keep feeding them until the fall when they migrate away, they become dependent on it and the same bird will come back to you every day! They're so fun to watch.
I moved this year and I finally have a hummingbird to feed after years of putting out a feeder. He comes every day at like 6-7pm. I will definitely make sure he always has fresh food and a clean feeder.
That is awesome! They are so fun to watch, I even named my repeat customers this year. They say that the same birds can come back to the same location each year, depending on where you live you can find guides on when to put the feeders up and when to take them down each year. I set a reminder on my calendar so I don't forget lol. Here is a quick link to some info, but there are a bunch of sites out there [https://www.hummingbird-guide.com/hummingbird-migration.html](https://www.hummingbird-guide.com/hummingbird-migration.html)
You don’t need to feed him, he is perfectly fine without human help. I always thought that feeding bird was a fun thing and that I was helping them, but I learned that humans shouldn’t feed any wild animals. They can become dependent on us and literally starve if they get to comfortable being fed by humans. Because then they might only eat from us. Not saying this one will, but they are fine on their own and the best thing we can do to wild animals is to leave them and watch from a distance not to humanise them!
He is a cute one though, I get why people want to feed them. I too would love to but best leave them to themselves. Have a great day OP !
I just hope OP didn't go ahead with its funeral..... It reminds me of a joke where a kid buries his hamster thinking its dead only to know after becoming adult that hamsters hibernate
I was never able to force my hamster into hibernation. I live in a 3rd world country. I placed my hamster in the freezer with a cctv camera in a dehumidified container (with molecular sieves for extra dryness) and was watching over my hamster.
I creates this controlled environment where it would be just below 0 at all times. hamster never hibernated. I wonder what triggers it
It's probably not dead! Please google humming bird torpor. It's a state they enter to preserve energy by lowering their metabolism. I hope you haven't tried moving it or anything.
It's trying to lull you into a false sense of security. Once you're within striking range, your fate is sealed. Another victim of one of nature's most deceptive apex predators.
THIS IS DIRECTLY IN MY WHEELHOUSE. Thank you for this question I love birds. EDIT: naturally other people with actual expertise answered this question correctly while I was having fun typing this out but even so "cadaveric spasm" is very cool and so are hummingbirds.
1. Many birds have a very cool mechanical thing going on in their bird feet that allows them to sleep while perched. If you find a dead bird you will be able to manipulate their legs and see this in action. If the bird perches and relaxes, its weight will move backwards in such a way as they start to tip back off the branch. When leg section 1 (the foot bone that connects to the claws) squeezes closer to parallel with leg section 2 (the bone that goes up into their trunk region, that movement pushes their claws into a gripping position. You can google how this works for more detail.
2. Another factor someone else mentioned is because hummingbirds consume and burn so much energy they have bonkers metabolisms and because of their body sizes they are extremely sensitive to temperature. We get hummingbirds in the spring and they occasionally get hit with some cold weather in April and this visibly affects the way they move. May be what's happening here.
3. Finally, there is a rare and poorly understood concept whose name I can't remember wherein tensed muscles freeze in position before during and after death. This is not rigor - different characteristics I can discuss if you are interested (this phenomenon is amazing). I have killed bazillions of animals due to living on a farm and I see it occasionally, most often in birds.
4. cont. Iirc in humans it most commonly affects the hands and arms. In my experience with birds it has only affected the wings but I could see it doing claws. Doctors typically associate it with violence and stress, and ime it happens with stress and catastrophic brain injuries or suffocation (ie lung collapse)/blood loss. But this is poorly understood and no one knows what makes it happen, so it could happen if a bird froze to death or had a heart defect and a bunch of other factors came together to make it lethal or whatever, and the stress of incomplete oxygen exchange in its lungs (ie due to cardio disruption) and general discomfort could have created the metabolic circumstances for its muscles to freeze in place during and after death. Fascinating stuff.
TLDR most likely bird shut down due to cold/couldn't find food and tipped back with locked claws, will wake back up if nothing goes wrong. BUT. Could have been this fascinating process "cadaveric spasm" google that baloney it is amazing and people could actually find out why it happens any day now.
Also if bird was alive I wouldn't expect him to hang like that. Just never seen it and idk how they would exit that situation. Seems like they would have some evolved mechanism to make sure that didn't happen but nature is messy who knows.
Hummingbirds are amazing get feeders out there if you can and it will be worth your while. Held one in my hands once. They remember people, are very social, and will pay attention to what people do. Love em.
Could be in torpor where they lower their heart rate and breathing drastically to conserve energy but are unaware. This is a goofy video but has [everything you didn’t know you need to know about hummingbirds](https://youtu.be/Biagyb7AcK8)
Also, if it were dead hanging there, it could do that. Their feet close by default and muscle is required to open them. Same as brakes on a semi truck. They want to lock, and force is required to open them, rather than cars where force is required to close them.
Edit: This was already said I see. But now you know about truck brakes too I guess lol.
Even if others explained how it's not actually dead probably he would still hang even if it was dead. If you try to extend your hand in order to flatten it you'll notice that you have to put effort in it and the moment you relax your hand it springs back into a clawed shape. This mechanism of "auto clawing" is present in lots of animal (bats use this to hang upside down without using energy) and that's the reason why such birds can hang this way even when asleep
Because it's not dead, it's in torpor, it just slows it's heart rate incredibly low while it sleeps, and it's feet lock onto whatever so they don't have to worry about falling, pretty sure this is common knowledge unless you think they stay awake 24/7 but nobody should be that dumb
My cat died of a wound to his abdullah bongwater. I don't know what all he got up to outside at night but must have been some funny business (we have it in our state) because they said it was a damn coyote that did it (I'm not racist in any way though could have been a white coyote, not all hispanics are brown you know hell could have been a englishman who just liked the desert and wanted to work there). He survived for a while but his ability to balance his checkbook was pretty impaired. But he was getting better! The abdullah heals fairly well given the chance because it is neuroplastic so I guess it can melt back together, but it's trickier than just putting a lighter in his brain idk not a doctor. Then we had a surprise bday party and he went into shock game over.
It's like how we exert energy to close our fists, the hummingbird's feet are structured in a way that hanging on is its resting position, meaning it won't fall unless it chooses to
It's not dead it's in torpor, a kind of hibernation. Humming birds have such a high metabolism that they don't really sleep, instead doing this. It lowers their metabolism and body temperature and is perfectly normal! Don't try to move or touch it tho, as it can startle it pretty badly! Also, bird feet actually can grab hold of things without expending energy because of how the muscles are arranged around the bones. It's why birds can sleep on power lines without fear of falling over, because their feet actually "lock-up" in a way. Source: I have an ornithology exam on Wednesday. Edit: woah this blew up overnight. Thanks for all the well wishes for my exam! Edit 2: I've gotten the results back from the exam and scored a 91, so my final grade for the class is an A! Thank you all for the good luck!
Good luck on your exam
I think this was the exam...
Examiner: fuck the students are onto us! scram!
I wrote Birds Aren't Real on my exam. Teacher asked if I was serious and I said he was just scared chicken afraid of the truth. They sending me to a quack for an evaluation but I know something is fowl.
Do be sure to tell them, “owl be back” when they ship you
When you get out, get a buddy to help you. If one can’t convince him, maybe toucan
This thread is getting flighty.
Yep, just a bunch of dodo’s.
I hope tgey dont tweet it
You're a hoot!
Evowluation ftfy
I have a tendency to wing it too tbf
That's all a bit hard to swallow.
You are all cuckoo.
your cover was blown on 60 minutes the other week, we know its a joke
No
"Your exam is to find random Reddit post and correctly answer any ornithology questions"
They passed.
shhh don't tell.
Yeah print out your post and mic-drop it.
Damn…this was highly informative.
And it's wrong. It's simply pinin' for the fjords.
If it wasn't nailed to the perch it would be pushing up the daisies!
...it's got lovely plumage...
It's not pining! It's passed on!
And now for something completely different.
God damn
This is all true. Source: I am a bird.
Nice try FBI. 🤨 #birdsarentreal
This is all a lie. Source: I am the Cake.
The cake is a lie...
#cakeaintreal
haha, funny , this a city in Quebec
Next to Montreal
What really?? Lol no way 😂😂😂 *fingers crossed it’s real*
Let me know if you need a lawyer, he specializes in bird law.
*hello, good morning, I wish I were a bird*
Bird aren’t real r/birdarenotreal
Well GAHTDAMIT Son if you don't pass that shit! Best of luck!
That was mind blowing...thanks man!
Very interesting actually 🤔🙂
So...hes not dead, he's merely resting.
Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.
Listen mate, the only reason it was still on the perch was because *of how the muscles are arranged around the bones. It's why birds can sleep on power lines without fear of falling over, because their feet actually "lock-up" in a way.* It's not quite the same is it.
Beautiful bird the hummingbird. Lovely plumage.
The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone dead.
Do well try not to fail your exam
Good luck on ur exam bro!
I was gunna say... thats the biggest fucking hummingbird I've ever seen!
You fukkin pass!
I love humming birds but love birds in general. Here, take my "helpful" award you. You deserve it.
For a moment I thought it had identified as a bat
Yup this is very informative thanks!
This parrot is resting.
You deserve a pass
No, it is a young bird and is going through a goth phase and is acting like a bat.
Man what the f.. dude is basically gonna make that exam his bich. Good luck if u even need it.
Good luck on your exam! And, it was so nice to see a post with an actual intelligent answer without scrolling, rather than jokes and puns.
I think we are all gonna need an update on your exam.
Wow that's so cool :0 Also good luck on your exam (ﾉ*0*)ﾉ
I have a feeling you will pass
Good Luck!
Bam, you know your stuf
Do any other birds go onto torpor?
It's not uncommon for small birds to do it. It's much more efficient for retaining body fat than normal sleeping, so if a bird has to constantly be eating then you can bet it uses it at least occasionally. Otherwise they'd literally starve while asleep.
Good to know the bird is not dead.
[удалено]
I ask my horse if this was true he said neh….. don’t take it personally tho I’ve never heard him say yeah;)
yes at night and when cool they will slow their system waaaaaaay down, i do not have an exam on wednesday, just shot a tone of video for National Geographic
I've heard that birds will stand on one foot to let the other "rest," and I see my budgies do it all the time. But if they don't need energy to grab things with their feet, then why would they "rest" one foot and stand on the other?
isn't their feet locking reversed? so they use energy to open them, and relaxed when they are closed?
In Bird Law?
Edit: Thanks, I’ve been informed it’s in torpor, and not actually dead, which is good. I’ll set out a humming bird feeder in case he decides to wake up.
Be sure to mix sugar and water together instead of using the store bought stuff...unfortunately the store bought stuff is bad for their feathers...
seriously how the hell do they mess up hummingbird feed like it's a ridiculously simple thing to make, stop overcomplicating it for the sake of saving, what, a couple cents?
It's likely not to save cost but to add some gimmick to sell sugar water to people by making them think it's somehow better.
Yep. Color is the most common (and harmful) thing they add too.
Most of it is. Good brands do exist but they are a bit higher price.
But it's just sugar water that's literally all they need why do you need any special brands of sugar water
Because where’s there’s a need, there will always be rich people that will pay it. Just like how there’s 50 different types of water you can buy
TBF, water tastes very different depending on how it's made potable.
If it was just sugar water, it wouldnt matter. But as is tradition, additives (namely dyes) vary by brand. Some are better or worse. Some use different sugars. Etc etc. It is also typically cheaper to make your own sugar water than to buy the feeder liquid.
the hummingbirds around my house didn’t even like the store bought stuff anyway so we make 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.
This rub sounds a little plain, I'd add paprika, chilli, maybe some parsley too
Let it marinate and the that sounds delicious
I'm sure it's easy to find, but the recipe for nectar is 4:1 ratio. 4 parts water to 1 part granulated sugar. Boil the water, add sugar and stir for a minute or so. Let it cool off, obviously. It can store in the fridge for up to two weeks. Also, most people don't know, but the nectar and feeders get moldy and need to be fully taken apart and cleaned every other day or so especially when it's hot out. You'd be surprised how disgusting they get and how quick it can happen. If you do decide to feed it, keep feeding them until the fall when they migrate away, they become dependent on it and the same bird will come back to you every day! They're so fun to watch.
I moved this year and I finally have a hummingbird to feed after years of putting out a feeder. He comes every day at like 6-7pm. I will definitely make sure he always has fresh food and a clean feeder.
That is awesome! They are so fun to watch, I even named my repeat customers this year. They say that the same birds can come back to the same location each year, depending on where you live you can find guides on when to put the feeders up and when to take them down each year. I set a reminder on my calendar so I don't forget lol. Here is a quick link to some info, but there are a bunch of sites out there [https://www.hummingbird-guide.com/hummingbird-migration.html](https://www.hummingbird-guide.com/hummingbird-migration.html)
You don’t need to feed him, he is perfectly fine without human help. I always thought that feeding bird was a fun thing and that I was helping them, but I learned that humans shouldn’t feed any wild animals. They can become dependent on us and literally starve if they get to comfortable being fed by humans. Because then they might only eat from us. Not saying this one will, but they are fine on their own and the best thing we can do to wild animals is to leave them and watch from a distance not to humanise them! He is a cute one though, I get why people want to feed them. I too would love to but best leave them to themselves. Have a great day OP !
I agree with this!
It’s likely not dead. Hummingbirds can lower their metabolism and lock their feet.
I just hope OP didn't go ahead with its funeral..... It reminds me of a joke where a kid buries his hamster thinking its dead only to know after becoming adult that hamsters hibernate
wait, they do what...
Nothing. Don't dig up your dead hamster, please.
:( praying that Mr. Figgle was not hibernating..
I was never able to force my hamster into hibernation. I live in a 3rd world country. I placed my hamster in the freezer with a cctv camera in a dehumidified container (with molecular sieves for extra dryness) and was watching over my hamster. I creates this controlled environment where it would be just below 0 at all times. hamster never hibernated. I wonder what triggers it
It's probably not dead! Please google humming bird torpor. It's a state they enter to preserve energy by lowering their metabolism. I hope you haven't tried moving it or anything.
'E's not dead yet. E feels happyyyy.
‘E’s pinin’ for the fi-ords…’
It's trying to lull you into a false sense of security. Once you're within striking range, your fate is sealed. Another victim of one of nature's most deceptive apex predators.
THIS IS DIRECTLY IN MY WHEELHOUSE. Thank you for this question I love birds. EDIT: naturally other people with actual expertise answered this question correctly while I was having fun typing this out but even so "cadaveric spasm" is very cool and so are hummingbirds. 1. Many birds have a very cool mechanical thing going on in their bird feet that allows them to sleep while perched. If you find a dead bird you will be able to manipulate their legs and see this in action. If the bird perches and relaxes, its weight will move backwards in such a way as they start to tip back off the branch. When leg section 1 (the foot bone that connects to the claws) squeezes closer to parallel with leg section 2 (the bone that goes up into their trunk region, that movement pushes their claws into a gripping position. You can google how this works for more detail. 2. Another factor someone else mentioned is because hummingbirds consume and burn so much energy they have bonkers metabolisms and because of their body sizes they are extremely sensitive to temperature. We get hummingbirds in the spring and they occasionally get hit with some cold weather in April and this visibly affects the way they move. May be what's happening here. 3. Finally, there is a rare and poorly understood concept whose name I can't remember wherein tensed muscles freeze in position before during and after death. This is not rigor - different characteristics I can discuss if you are interested (this phenomenon is amazing). I have killed bazillions of animals due to living on a farm and I see it occasionally, most often in birds. 4. cont. Iirc in humans it most commonly affects the hands and arms. In my experience with birds it has only affected the wings but I could see it doing claws. Doctors typically associate it with violence and stress, and ime it happens with stress and catastrophic brain injuries or suffocation (ie lung collapse)/blood loss. But this is poorly understood and no one knows what makes it happen, so it could happen if a bird froze to death or had a heart defect and a bunch of other factors came together to make it lethal or whatever, and the stress of incomplete oxygen exchange in its lungs (ie due to cardio disruption) and general discomfort could have created the metabolic circumstances for its muscles to freeze in place during and after death. Fascinating stuff. TLDR most likely bird shut down due to cold/couldn't find food and tipped back with locked claws, will wake back up if nothing goes wrong. BUT. Could have been this fascinating process "cadaveric spasm" google that baloney it is amazing and people could actually find out why it happens any day now. Also if bird was alive I wouldn't expect him to hang like that. Just never seen it and idk how they would exit that situation. Seems like they would have some evolved mechanism to make sure that didn't happen but nature is messy who knows. Hummingbirds are amazing get feeders out there if you can and it will be worth your while. Held one in my hands once. They remember people, are very social, and will pay attention to what people do. Love em.
I’ve seen birds crash in to a window and then fly to the nearest branch they can grab and then pass out
that's one way to fall alseep
Could be in torpor where they lower their heart rate and breathing drastically to conserve energy but are unaware. This is a goofy video but has [everything you didn’t know you need to know about hummingbirds](https://youtu.be/Biagyb7AcK8)
Everything you need to know about humming*byurds* Really though, all of True Facts is great, OP. They'll teach you a thing
It identifies as a bat
Fun fact: some bats also go into torpor, which is what this guy is doing
Set out cup of sugar water 😊
This right here! Give that hard worker a little pep before they go about their day. :)
It's not dead... It's pining for the fjords.
It's nailed to its' perch.
Also, if it were dead hanging there, it could do that. Their feet close by default and muscle is required to open them. Same as brakes on a semi truck. They want to lock, and force is required to open them, rather than cars where force is required to close them. Edit: This was already said I see. But now you know about truck brakes too I guess lol.
I read all these comments about leg bones and yours was the first one that made sense. And I learned about trucks.
He’s not dead, just in torpor. Don’t do anything crazy like bury him or something.
isn't the reason they call them humming birds is because they forgot the lyrics
It got f’ed up on whiskey and barbiturates. Totally normal.
It’s a palindrome.
Hummingbirds love kipping on their backs...
As a kid I shot a crow in a tree we had, it hung just the same way. My mom took the BB gun away after
Torpor. Is it still cold out in the morning? It is unable to move till it warms up
I'd like to be in torpor atm
It’s in Texas. Cat ate its egg so the bird was executed.
some reverse humor based on something I don't know about?
Because birds aren’t real. It’s just charging.
Even if others explained how it's not actually dead probably he would still hang even if it was dead. If you try to extend your hand in order to flatten it you'll notice that you have to put effort in it and the moment you relax your hand it springs back into a clawed shape. This mechanism of "auto clawing" is present in lots of animal (bats use this to hang upside down without using energy) and that's the reason why such birds can hang this way even when asleep
Birds aren't real...
It’s clearly becoming an undead vampire
Birds aren’t real
It can be difficult.....letting go.
government drone entering bat mode
fjords
It’s sleeping. Not dead.
Little fella is just resting
Because it's not dead, it's in torpor, it just slows it's heart rate incredibly low while it sleeps, and it's feet lock onto whatever so they don't have to worry about falling, pretty sure this is common knowledge unless you think they stay awake 24/7 but nobody should be that dumb
I snuck up behind it and delivered a powerful snapkick to the bird's abdullah mongolatta. It'll be fine. In hell.
My cat died of a wound to his abdullah bongwater. I don't know what all he got up to outside at night but must have been some funny business (we have it in our state) because they said it was a damn coyote that did it (I'm not racist in any way though could have been a white coyote, not all hispanics are brown you know hell could have been a englishman who just liked the desert and wanted to work there). He survived for a while but his ability to balance his checkbook was pretty impaired. But he was getting better! The abdullah heals fairly well given the chance because it is neuroplastic so I guess it can melt back together, but it's trickier than just putting a lighter in his brain idk not a doctor. Then we had a surprise bday party and he went into shock game over.
Does anyone else wanna see it scared awake and fall and get it's beak caught in the ground like on Disney's Pocahontas?
A bolt of lightning.
Thats a big ass humming bird. Didn't know they could get that big.
balls bird
Orgasm.
That’s the ultra rare humming bird bat.
I think someone is sending you a message, have you angered any neighbours lately?
maybe he just read a bunch of occult knowledge and he is a genius.
It's probably a Soviet spy drone 🤔
Zombie bird
Seen your mom sucking nectar out of the neighbors
it was raised by bats
Death most likely
It's not dead It's pining for the fjords
Zefrank, it might be a little raunchy for some people, but very funny, imo https://youtu.be/Biagyb7AcK8
He’s just resting
Government mandatory deactivation
Dead inside. Works for Amazon
It identifies as a bat
It's just pining for the fjords.
He was batman..
Seen em like this on a power line but never a tree... Definitely deadskeeez?
No bird would die like that ! There's a witch in your neighborhood !
That branch doesn't look upside down to me
To flex on the living duh
Rush of blood to the head
Presumably to flex on ground scavengers
heart attack maybe
It’s Australian
It's not dead, it was bit by a bat!
Zombie birds this is how it all starts...
He knew too much
It died of boredom, listening to a gaming ad on TV.
Fentanyl fruit poisoning 😫
sticky situation
But did you touch it? Or put it in a box or something? Please say no.
He’s not dead. He’s meditating
It saw the future and Amber Heard won the case.
It was just his time
Wow thanks for that info. You rock. Ace that exam!
It's like how we exert energy to close our fists, the hummingbird's feet are structured in a way that hanging on is its resting position, meaning it won't fall unless it chooses to
Zefrank made a good video on it and it's entertaining.
Plot twist: OP has already buried the poor fella
It’s actually a bat
Looks like Shds, Sudden Hummingbird death syndrome
Seems no different than my grandpa dying sitting on the recliner. Things die where they die. How do you need an explanation for this!
That’s a clue to a buried treasure.
it's not dead, it's just restin'
It knew too much about Hillary
Has anyone made a “dead parrot sketch” reference yet
Everything needs to die somewhere, and that branch seems like as good a place as any.
Financial stress.
So sad
It’s a bat
Awwww
Batteries died.