Is the hummingbird a nationally protected animal? The answer is here

Hummingbirds are not commonly seen, and many people cannot recognize this species even if they do see a hummingbird. So is the hummingbird a nationally protected animal?

The hummingbird is actually not a single species; in fact, what we call hummingbirds generally refers to the family Trochilidae, with 1 family, 2 subfamilies, 104 genera and 355 species. The family Trochilidae is mainly distributed in Latin America, north to the southern United States, and along the eastern Pacific coast as far as Alaska.

The feathers of hummingbirds are generally blue or green, with the underparts paler, and some males have a crest or elongated tail feathers. Among males, the vast majority are blue-green, and some are purple, red or yellow. Females have duller body plumage. The family Trochilidae has two subfamilies, the Phaethornithinae and the Trochilinae. Hermit hummingbirds are generally brown, gray and red, without iridescent coloration. The Trochilinae have iridescent feathers with red, orange, blue and green metallic sheen. The iridescence is mainly concentrated on the head, upperparts and underparts of males. Some males also have striking feather ornaments such as bright throat patches, crests and slender tail feathers.

Hummingbirds are protected animals. All species in the family Trochilidae are included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and they are also national second-class protected animals, and the buying and selling of hummingbirds is not permitted. Although hummingbirds are protected animals, hummingbird diversity has been growing continuously, and new species are arising faster than they go extinct. So we do not need to worry that we will no longer see this animal in the future.

In some American myths, the hummingbird is also a symbol of the sun god. In the 19th century, women in Europe and America often used hummingbird feathers as hat ornaments, and merchants bought hummingbird skins, posing a great threat to the survival of hummingbirds. After entering the new century, the habitat of hummingbirds has also been gradually shrinking with the destruction of forests.