While the majestic bald eagle patients get the most attention, our tiniest patients are just as deserving in their own right! This male rufous hummingbird was brought in last week after being found on the ground unable to fly. He was missing all but three of his tail feathers. We were feeding him every 20mins but after four days, he died. The whole ordeal was just too much. The rufous hummingbird has the longest migration of any bird, traveling from as far north as Alaska, all the way to Mexico for the winter, then back again to nest in the spring! With wings beating 28 times per second, they have the highest energy expenditure of any warm blooded creature and must consume about five times their body weight in food every day. To equal their energy requirement, the average man would have to eat 130kg of hamburger a day! These tiny beauties are, truly amazing!
