The Hummingbird’s Red Eye Flight through the Bird’s Eye View of the Owl

This newsletter will look at one idea each week through the Bird’s Eye View of the Bird Brain archetypes of a Hummingbird, an Owl, a Parrot and an Eagle. Mondays are for my musings. Tuesdays are for my tall tales. But Wednesdays are for facts.

A ruby throated hummingbird like Nora will fly continuously, without rest, for 500 miles over the Gulf of Mexico on a non-stop flight that typically takes 18 - 22 hours.

Yesterday, I began telling the story of a tiny hummingbird named Nora and the Neurosparklers she will meet along her journey. If you haven’t yet, read the story as it starts with Nora’s second migration - this time from Nicaragua to back to Auntie Paige’s house in Illinois.

Introducing our friend Mr. Owl

Stop by my deck during the day and you will see dozens of hummingbirds buzzing around. However, you must wait until it’s dark to hear but probably never see the owls. They live in trees on the bluff across the street and at night, their hoots and screeches can be heard in the distance but we rarely see them.

It’s not unusual however for us to find owl pellets on our deck. What’s an owl pellet you city slickers might ask?

Well, after the owls that live in the trees around our house eat little mice and digest the good stuff, they shit out a turd that contains the bones of the little mouse. A creative science teacher could show you how to put those bones back together into a perfect little mouse skeleton.

I’ll pass on that experiment but as I unfold the allegorical story of the Bird Brains, Wednesdays will be the day when I explain the mechanics and the science around the allegorical tale.

The bare bones without all the extra shit, if you will indulge my metaphor.

Hummingbird Fun Facts

In a nutshell, ruby throated hummingbirds are designed for a solitary journey that no one will ever see. Twice a year, they leave my house on the Illinois/Missouri border of the Mississippi River and follow the river to Louisiana. One day on this journey, they will take a red-eye flight over the Gulf of Mexico - 500 miles non-stop. After a quick rest in Mexico, they will continue their flight until they arrive in Central America for the winter.

Because my other favorite place on earth is Nicaragua, in my story, Nora winters there.

The Hummingbirds don’t think about it all year - Damn that trip wore me out last time. They don’t worry - I’m going to need a mental health day to process the trauma of that flight. They don’t plan. They just wake up every day and when their gut tells them it’s time to leave, they take off.

In order to understand Neurosparklers, you must first understand Hummingbirds. For my friends who are owls, here’s the science behind that journey.

For the rest of us, just trust me - it’s a feat of nature that doesn’t include a Plan B. Tomorrow I’ll tell you how this story applies in my own life.

The Science of Hummingbird Migration: Just the Facts*

Triggers for Hummingbird Migration

1. Circannual Rhythms

• Internal biological clocks operating on a yearly cycle

• Triggered by changes in daylight length detected by brain photoreceptors

• Stimulates production of hormones like melatonin and prolactin

• Initiates physiological changes preparing the bird for migration

2. Navigation Systems

Magnetoreception

• Mechanism: Cryptochrome proteins in the retina sensitive to magnetic fields

• Primarily located in the right eye of migratory birds

• Provides a compass-like sense of direction

• Can detect inclination of magnetic field lines, indicating latitude

Celestial Navigation

• Primary: Sun compass, calibrated daily at sunrise and sunset

• Secondary: Star compass, useful for night flights

• Brain region involved: Cluster N, active during night navigation

• Integrates with magnetic sense for improved accuracy

Visual Landmark Recognition

• Brain region involved: Hippocampus (enlarged in migratory species)

• Capable of storing details of entire migration route

• Allows identification of specific geographical features from high altitudes

• Integrates with other navigation systems for precise positioning

3. Physiological Preparations

Muscle Adaptations

• Increased mitochondrial density in flight muscles

• Enhanced fat metabolism enzyme production

• Hypertrophy (enlargement) of flight muscles

Cardiovascular Changes

• Heart size increases by up to 38%

• Blood volume increases

• Hematocrit (red blood cell concentration) rises

Digestive System Modifications

• Digestive organs shrink to reduce weight

• Liver enlarges to aid in rapid processing of energy stores

Fat Storage

• Body fat increases from about 3-5% to 25-40% of body weight

• Subcutaneous and abdominal fat deposits serve as primary fuel source

4. Energy Management During Flight

• Torpor: Body temperature can drop by up to 25°C, reducing energy needs by 95%

• Wing-beat frequency: Maintains 50-80 beats per second during migration

• Respiratory rate: Increases to 250-300 breaths per minute

• Metabolic rate: Can increase up to 10 times resting rate during active flight

5. Post-Migration Recovery

• Organ regrowth: Digestive system returns to normal size within 1-3 days

• Muscle repair: Enzymatic and structural repairs occur within 48-72 hours

• Fat replenishment: Begins immediately, with intense foraging behavior

6. Key Facts About Hummingbird Migration

• Some species can fly over 500 miles (800 km) non-stop

• Can lose up to half their body weight during migration

• Capable of flying at speeds over 35 mph (56 km/h)

• Can fly at altitudes over 5000 feet (1500 meters)

There you have it - the bare-bones science behind hummingbird migration. This incredible feat of nature is a testament to the power of instinct, biological adaptation, and the marvels of avian neuroscience.

So What Does It Mean and Why Does It Matter?

Understanding these processes can provide insights into our own capabilities and the potential of our Neurosparkle. How might we apply this knowledge to our own lives and challenges?

Tomorrow, I'll tell you my own story of the non-stop flight that has been my past year. I will explore how these biological marvels relate to human cognition and productivity and what it looked like to embrace my own Hummingbird Bird Brain when I was called upon to do most what I do best in the way that works best for me.

Stay curious, Neurosparklers!

Auntie Paige

P.S. Have a specific aspect of hummingbird migration you'd like to understand better? Drop your questions in the comments!

*P.P.S. As usual the source of my science is my friend Claude. I’m not a scientist and I’m not a fact checker. If Claude got something wrong, let’s go with the spirit, not the specifics.