In cold weather, i was told that hummingbirds "hitch a ride" under the wings of geese, to a warmer climate. any comments?
by 
john pennington
ANSWERS: 5
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Yes I read that as well. They couldn't make the trip on their own as they need so many calories a day to survive. Those flapping little wings take a lot of energy.
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I have heard they also hitch rides on 18 wheelers and trains...Smart little buggers aren't they!
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I actually saw a humminbird in Alaska. He was way off course. He needed a jacket.
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It's a nice story but it's not true. Scientists have found that these little fliers actually go where they went by themselves. For one thing, they migrate usually at a different time than some of the birds they have been linked with. And geese and hummers eat very different things and so the hummers wold be without their food wherever the geese layover. In the springtime, the ruby-throats fly north non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico, a 500-mile trip that reduces their weight by half. In the fall they do it in drips and drabs, taking their time going back south, sometimes needing to be warmed up before they can fly. And there are more birds since all the babies are going south too for the first time. The Rufous Hummingbird has the longest migration, going from Alaska to Central America, 2700 miles! And they only need to stop 4 times to 'refuel':-)
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that sounds interesting, never heard of that
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