Hummingbirds are tiny birds. Yet – powered by the nectar of flowers – some species can migrate more than 5,600 miles (9,000 km) a year. But as climate and land use are changing, so the locations of wildflowers are changing. And a new study of hummingbirds in New Mexico shows how some hummingbirds are going into short hibernation periods overnight to conserve energy for the next day’s journey. It’s not ordinary sleeping. It’s a deeper form of sleeping, which the scientists call torpor. The scientists announced their results on January 15, 2025. They said said they’ve found specific fat levels and fat reserves that some migratory hummingbirds need to go into hibernation and then resume their journeys in the morning. And they said:
Hummingbirds apparently adjust their use of torpor to wake up in the morning with a minimum fat reserve that allows for survival on a day-to-day basis in an uncertain environment…