Do you ever wonder how hummingbirds survive cold nights?

When it gets cold at night hummingbirds go into a sleep-like state called torpor. Their temperature drops and their heart rate slows, allowing them to stay warm and conserve energy. Torpor also benefits them during the day if they need to recharge their energy level - much like us when we take an afternoon nap. That is what is happening in this photo from our friend Anne.

Anne took this photo last summer when she noticed the hummingbird in a shallow state of torpor. It only rested for about 20 minutes before it righted itself, had a drink and flew off!

Anne’s hummingbird took its nap on our most popular hummingbird feeder – our WBU Small High Perch™ Hummingbird Feeder. This feeder holds 8 ounces of sugar water and has a wrap-around high perch that allows hummingbirds to rest as they drink. The high perch also lets us have better and much longer views of the birds than many other feeders.