Grayson is a biologist who studies hummingbirds. In order to estimate the number of hummingbirds in the area, he catches 50 hummingbirds and tags them. Later, he catches 510 hummingbirds and finds that 34 of them are tagged. To the nearest whole number, what is the best estimate for the hummingbird population?

1. Many Species

I once saw a National Geographic television special on hummingbirds that said that there are over 330 species of hummingbirds! I was shocked. I had no idea, since I was only familiar with one species, as I’m sure you are as well, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.

The Male Ruy-Throated Hummingbird

The Female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Surprisingly, hummingbirds are only found in the Western Hemisphere, with almost half the species living around the equator. About five percent of hummingbird species live primarily north of Mexico, and only about two dozen species visit the U.S. and Canada. A few species remain year-round in the U.S. along the Pacific coast.

2. They Eat A lot

Hummingbirds have a very high metabolism and must eat all day long just to survive. They consume about half their body weight in bugs and nectar, feeding every 10-15 minutes and visiting 1,000-2,000 flowers throughout the day. In addition to nectar from flowers and feeders, these birds eat small insects, beetles, ants, aphids, gnats, mosquitoes, and wasp. So, hummingbirds are great to have your backyard!

3. They’re the Smallest

Hummingbirds are the smallest of all the bird species. The bee hummingbird of Cuba weighs only 1.95 grams, or about as much as a ¼ teaspoon of sugar!

a line is an defined derm because it

a)contains an infinite number of points b) can be used to create other geometric shapes c)describes something that does not have width or depth d) is a term that does not have a formal definition. a line is an undefined term because it: contains an infinite number of points.