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ArtistIn times of climate change, hummingbirds find it very difficult to maintain their body temperature when it is very hot during daytime. At night, when hummingbirds slip into torpor, during which their body temperature plunges by up to 75 %, the birds have a harder time saving energy during warmer nights. Warmer temperatures combined with drought or dryness reduce available ford sources to these extreme-metabolism birds, who have to feed nearly constantly. Thus, in this imaginary evolutionary scenario, hummingbirds have migrated to higher altitudes, and, as their food sources are slower to adapt, the birds have had to tap into new foods such as tree sap, insect honeydew, and overripe and damaged fruit. Moreover, hummingbirds seek out shady microsites, for instance under tree branches. Finally hummingbirds are evolving additional cooling mechanisms, such as feather loss around the eyes and feet for heat dissipation, and frequent splashing in water sources to cool off. The image shows a National Geographic quality closeup of several very brightly colored hummingbirds with smooth, iridescent feathers on their wings, bodies and tails, and fewer feathers on their normal-sized heads, splashing in a puddle. Water is spraying everywhere as they shake off glistening droplets. The style is a biological illustration with extreme scientific precision, drawn as line art in bold colors.
Hummingbirds adapt to drought and heat, especially hotter nights, and seek out new habitats and foods.