Wheel of Birds 17: Meet The Hummingbird Gangs #birds #nature #hummingbird

Every week I pick a random species from the world’s 11,167 species and I talk about it. This week’s Wheel of Birds pick is the Black-breasted Hillstar, a hummingbird that lives high in the Peruvian Andes.

This green-capped guy lets us talk about the nine “tribes” of hummingbirds, which are more fun if we imagine them as Westside Story style gangs. The Emeralds! The Giants! The Coquettes!

Our Hillstar is a Coquette, and it’s a keystone species in a remarkable ecosystem called Puna grasslands. These tiny birds are the primary pollinator for huamanpinta, a plant that has a whole suite of medicinal properties. Protecting these hummingbirds and their habitat is the key to conserving this remarkable plants.

Tune in next week for another spin of the Wheel of Birds!

Видео Wheel of Birds 17: Meet The Hummingbird Gangs #birds #nature #hummingbird канала Out Counting Birds with Jer Thorp