Inyoni Eqabula Izimbali

ABASEBRAZIL bayibiza ngokuthi i-beija-flor—inyoni eqabula izimbali. Leli gama lifanelana kahle nendima efezwa i-hummingbird ezimbalini. Abanye ababebuka lezi zidalwa ezincane, bebona izimpaphe zazo ezigqamile, bazibiza ngokuthi “amagugu aphilayo” noma “izingxenye ezinhle zothingo” futhi baqamba izinhlobo zazo ezihlukahlukene ngamagama aphambili, njengathi itopazi eliyirubi, isimaragidu esicwebezelayo noma inkanyezi enomsila onombala wethusi.

Imibala emihle ibonakala kakhulu ezimpapheni zekhethelo ezizungeze intamo nesiqhova sezinyoni ezingamaduna. Izimpaphe zazo zinamangqamuzana agcwele umoya, imisebe yokukhanya efika ishaye kuwo bese iba sengathi imibala yothingo, njengoba kungaba njalo uma ishaya emagwebwini ensipho amaningi amancanyana.

Incwadi ethi Creature Comforts kaJoan Ward-Harris iyichaza kahle i-hummingbird ebomvana nenjengosinamoni, evame ukutholakala eNyakatho Melika engasentshonalanga, ithi: “Ubuhle bayo obukhulu busesifubeni—ibala elinjengomgexo . . . Lisuka ngezansi kwezihlathi lemboze isilevu lehlele entanyeni nasesifubeni njengebhibhi lomntwana. Ukucwazimula kwaleli bala kuyamangalisa—le nyoni ibukeka inkulu ngokuphindwe kabili kunalokho eyikho futhi ibukeka sengathi iyavutha.” Njengoba umbala obomvana unyakaza, leli bala kuba sengathi linsomi, lifane nesimaragidu noma libe yiyo yonke imibala yothingo. Kodwa uma ifulathela ukukhanya, leli bala livele libe mnyama bhuqe.

Iyamangaza Kwezokuzivocavoca

Ama-hummingbird adume ngokuba ompetha bokuzivocavoca. Ilenga isikhashana embalini, imunce umpe lwayo izisithe ngezimpiko zayo ezibhakuzayo. Ngokushesha lo mncanyana onamandla uzondiza aye phambili, emuva, emaceleni, noma phansi naphezulu ebhakuzisa amaphiko izikhathi ezingu-50 kuya kwezingu-70 ngomzuzwana—abanye bathi ezingu-80! Kubikwa ukuthi angafinyelela ijubane elingamakhilomitha angu-50 kuya kwangu-100 ngehora kodwa akwazi ukuma ngokushesha. Yini eyenza i-hummingbird ikwazi ukwenza lezi zimanga ezingaka?

Imfihlo isezingxenyeni zomzimba wale nyoni eziklanywe ngokumangalisayo. Inemisipha eqinile, esesifubeni esihleli obala, esakha amaphesenti angu-25 kuya kwangu-30 esisindo somzimba wayo. Amaphiko ayo, aqinile kusukela emahlombe kuya esihlokweni sephiko, enza ukuthi ibe namandla uma ibhakuza iya phansi noma phezulu, kunokuba ibe namandla uma iya phansi kuphela njengoba kunjalo ngezinye izinyoni. Ngakho-ke, iyakwazi ukubhakuza iphakame noma ishone phambili, kuyilapho amahlombe eyenza ikwazi ukwenza umjikelezo ibe iqondé thwi. Akumangalisi ukuthi ukuzivocavoca kwale nyoni kungakushiya ubambe ongezansi!

Ingabe lezi zinyoni ziyakwazi ukuphikelela? Akubuzwa. Ngokwesibonelo, unyaka ngamunye amanye ama-hummingbird abomvana ahamba ibanga elingaphezu kwamakhilomitha angu-3 000 esuka kubo eMexico ebusika aye enyakatho ekude njengase-Alaska. Awanandaba nezingozi zokushona evumbuluka ezintabeni, ulwandle nesimo sezulu esingesihle.

Zal’ukha Kokudliwayo

Ukuthandana kwama-hummingbird nezimbali azivakashelayo kuwusizo—kususa impova kwenye imbali kuyiyise kwenye. Nokho, into ayithanda ngempela umpe. Ukuze zithole amandla, usuku nosuku lezi zinyoni kudingeka zidle cishe umpe olunama-carbohydrate olulingana nengxenye (abanye bathi nokuphindwa kabili) kwesisindo sazo. Ungacabanga ngomuntu edinga ukudla okungako?

Ngokungafani nezinyoni eziningi, ama-hummingbird awavamile ukuhamba ngezinyawo. Adla endiza. Njengoba enoqhwaku olude nolwakheke ngezindlela ezihlukene kuye ngohlobo lwawo, akhetha izimbali ezizozwana nawo. Ngaphezu kokudla umpe adla nezinambuzane ezincane ezidla izithelo nezidla izitshalo. Le nyoni iluthola kanjani umpe ezimbalini eziqabulayo?

Le nyoni idla ngolimi lwayo. UJoan Ward-Harris uyabhala: “Ulimi lwe-hummingbird lude, luncane, luyibhaxa futhi lunoboya kancane esihlokweni salo; luhlukaniswe imisele egoqongene, eyenza imithanjana ethwala umpe ize ilugwinye.”

Uma umema ama-hummingbird ngokuwapha ukudla eduze kwefasitela lakho, uyobhema ukholwe ngendlela lezi zinyoni ezikhangayo nezinamandla ezizokujabulisa ngayo. Kodwa, ziphe ukudla kuphela uma ukulungele ukuzinakekela phakathi nayo yonke leyo nkathi yonyaka, ngoba zizothembela ekudleni ozinika kona lapho zikhulisa umkhaya wazo esidlekeni esiseduze.

Imikhuba Yokushelana

Ezinye izinhlobo zama-hummingbird eMelika Ephakathi neseNingizimu ziheha izithandwa zazo ngokucula. I-hummingbird enentamo ensundu ngokubomvana, yase-Guatemala, ave iyigagu. Kanti i-hummingbird enezindlebe ezimhlophe icula iculo ‘elinjengokukhala kwensimbi yomculo yesiliva encane, ekhala kamnandi.’ Nokho, amaningi awadumile njengabaculi. Amane nje aphindaphinde amanothi ambalwa ngamazwi ahlabayo aze abe isicefe noma ngezinye izikhathi avungazele evale imilomo bese kufutheka intamo.

Ezinye zalezi zinyoni zenza imibukiso yokuzivocavoca lapho zeshela. Ikakhulukazi le ebomvana, ishwibeka njengomlilo isuka phezulu bese ima ngaphezudlwana nje kweyensikazi esuke ibukela bese kuthi—uma nje isizofika kuyo—ijike ibheke phezulu yenze uhlamvu u-J. Ibe ilokhu ijikajika idlala u-J ize iphinde ikhuphukele phezulu noma indize isindiza nomngane wayo omusha. Uma yenza lo mbukiso ingabhakuzisa amaphiko izikhathi ezingamakhulu amabili ngomzuzwana!

Amakhaya Amahle

Isidleke se-hummingbird “siphakathi kwezinto ezinhle kakhulu emhlabeni,” kusho omunye owayesibuka. UJoan Ward-Harris wabonisa intatheli ye-Phaphama! isidleke ayesitholile. Sasingamasentimitha angu-4,5 ububanzi futhi cishe siyisentimitha elilodwa ubude, sakhiwe ngendlela yokuthi njengoba amaphuphu angangenyosi ekhula, ikhaya lawo elifudumele lizonwebeka ukuze liwanele. Ukubamba isidleke ngesandla sakho kuyajabulisa—sinjengenkomishi kanodoli encane eyenziwe ngotshani obuthambile. Izidleke ziyenziwa nangezimpaphe ezilula eziphothwe ndawonye ngobulwembu. Kubekelwa kuzo amaqanda amabili noma amathathu amhlophe qwa, “njengamaparele afanayo alolongiwe.”

Uma epha amaphuphu akhe ukudla, umama ufaka uqhwaku lwakhe olunokudla luye phambili emiphinjeni yawo emincane. Ngokuvamile ngemva kwamasonto amathathu nje, ashukunyiswa umzwelo abese eyazihambela, azifunele ukudla akhule kuze kube yilapho imizwelo yawo iwatshela ukuba athathe uhambo olude lokuthutha aye lapho kunesimo sezulu sasebusika esikahle.

Ayesabi

Isici esimangalisayo nge-hummingbird ukuthi ayesabi. Lokhu ungakubona uma icasuka ezindaweni edla kuzo. ENingizimu Melika ama-coronet amabili ansomi abonakala ebhudubeza ngesibindi ukhozi olwaluhlasele indawo yawo enezidleke, ebonisa ukuzimisela ukulwa noGoliyathi uma kudingekile. Kodwa ngezinye izikhathi ama-hummingbird ayafa uma elwa nezinye izitha ezinjengezinyoka, amaxoxo, ubulwembu bezicabucabu, izimbali ezihlabayo nabantu abawazingelayo.

Nokho, abantu abaningi bangabangane bawo futhi bakulindela ngokulangazela ukubuya kwama-hummingbird inkathi ngayinye yonyaka ukuze azoqala indlela yawo yokuphila enenjongo. Ukufunda ngala magugu endalo akhazimulayo, ngokuqinisekile kuzokwenza uwathande nakakhulu—uma kwenzeka ekhetha ukuqabula izimbali ezisengadini yakho.

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 17]

AMAQINISO NGE-HUMMINGBIRD

• Njengoba eyizinhlobo ezingu-320, ama-hummingbird angawesibili ezinyonini eziyizinhlobo eziningi eNtshonalanga neNkabazwe

• Ayizinyoni ezingomncanyana abahle: I-bee hummingbird yaseCuba cishe ingamasentimitha ayisithupha ukusuka esihlokweni sesisila kuya oqhwakwini

• I-hummingbird enkulu kakhulu ingamasentimitha angu-22 ubude futhi itholakala eNingizimu Melika, kusuka e-Ecuador kuya eChile

• Atholakala kakhulu ezindaweni ezisenkabazwe ngaphesheya kweNingizimu Melika ukusuka ogwini lolwandle kuya ebangeni elingaphezu kwamamitha angu-4 500 ukuphakama kanye nakwezinye iziqhingi zaseCaribbean nezasePacific

• Phakathi nezinyanga zasehlobo atholakala enyakatho ekude njengase-Alaska naseningizimu ekude njengaseTierra del Fuego

• Ngesinye isikhathi, kwake kwabulawa izigidi zawo ukuze kuhlotshiswe izigqoko zabesifazane ezazidayiswa eYurophu, ngokunokwenzeka ezinye izinhlobo zaqothulwa

[Izithombe]

I-“giant” (isithombe esijwayelekile)

I-“bee hummingbird” (isithombe esijwayelekile)

[Imithombo]

© C. H. Greenewalt/VIREO

© 1990 Robert A. Tyrrell

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

I-“hummingbird” ebomvana

[Umthombo]

THE HUMMINGBIRD SOCIETY / Newark Delaware USA

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

I-“bee hummingbird” (isithombe esikhulisiwe)

[Umthombo]

© 1990 Robert A. Tyrrell

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

I-“antillean mango”

[Umthombo]

© 1990 Robert A. Tyrrell

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Enesifuba esibomvana etholakala ogwadule

[Umthombo]

© 1990 Robert A. Tyrrell

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Eyohlobo luka-Anna (isithombe esikhulisiwe)

[Umthombo]

Patricia Meacham/Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Eyensikazi enentamo ebomvu nephuphu