Hummingbirds have been called “doctor birds” for centuries due to their unique ability to heal plants and people. There are several fascinating theories and legends about how hummingbirds became known as nature’s tiny doctors. Understanding why hummingbirds got this nickname provides insight into their remarkable characteristics and positive symbiotic relationship with humans.
The Nectar Doctor Theory
One of the most popular theories is that hummingbirds are called doctor birds because they help flowers reproduce by spreading pollen when they drink nectar. By transferring pollen from flower to flower, hummingbirds facilitate cross-pollination that enables plants to produce seeds and fruit. This essential “doctoring” of plants perpetuates flowering plant species and ensures a future bountiful food supply.
Hummingbirds have a symbiotic relationship with plants, as the birds receive nourishment from the nectar while providing the necessary pollination services in return. Hummingbirds can visit hundreds or even over a thousand flowers per day. Their efficiently designed long bills and tongues are perfectly adapted for reaching into different shaped flowers. The rapid fluttering of their wings allows them to expertly dart from bloom to bloom distributing pollen.
Hummingbirds have coevolved with numerous flowering plants that rely exclusively on them for pollination. For example, the sword-billed hummingbird of South America has an 8 cm bill adapted to extract nectar from the pendulous Passiflora mixta flower. This species acts as the primary pollinator for these vines. Without the pollination services of hummingbirds, many beloved plants such as fuschias, orchids, and passionflowers would fail to produce fruit and seeds.
The Joy Doctor Theory
Another theory is that hummingbirds are dubbed doctor birds because they lift the spirits and bring joy to those who observe them. Hummingbirds have captured people’s imaginations for centuries with their diminutive size, dazzling iridescent plumage, and remarkable flying abilities. They exhibit a playfulness and zest for life that is contagious.
Hummingbirds appear in myths and legends of diverse cultures across time. The Aztecs believed them sacred and a symbol of vigor and energy. The Cherokee and Zuni tribes considered them messengers sent to bring positive tidings. Hummingbirds represented good luck charms and love to the Yucatan Maya. They served as muses for artisans and writers in the Victorian era and still today are one of the most popular birds featured in illustrations, logos, jewelry, and decor.
Watching hummingbirds makes people inherently happy as they buzz around your garden, gorging themselves at feeders, chasing each other in spirited dogfights, and perching cutely on branches and wires. The frenetic activity and acrobatics of hummingbirds uplift our spirits, provide comic relief, and remind us to enjoy the simple pleasures of nature. They help chase away worries and anxieties, acting as tiny therapists administering doses of delight. In this sense, hummingbirds are indeed natural “doctors” that heal emotional wounds and promote positivity.
The Physical Healing Theory
Hummingbirds have also been called doctor birds in reference to their purported medicinal properties and ability to heal physical ailments. Folk medicine practices through history considered various parts of hummingbirds curative.
Hummingbird bones and feathers were worn as protective amulets and talismans by some Native American tribes, believed to impart vigor, bravery, and resilience. European colonists learned of these practices from indigenous people and soon viewed hummingbirds as a panacea remedy. They utilized hummingbird parts along with herbs and other animal ingredients in medicinal compounds called “Doctor Bird Extract” sold in pharmacies in the 1700-1800s.
Widespread medicinal use decimated wild hummingbird populations in North America centuries ago. Although harvesting hummingbirds is illegal today, some Central and South American cultures still employ hummingbird parts in traditional cures. For example, the Ticuna tribe in the Amazon grinds the heads and beaks into a powder for treating asthma and bronchitis.
While little scientific evidence exists demonstrating hummingbird efficacy, they do play important ecological roles in plant and pollinator health as nectar guides and pollinators. Maintaining hummingbird populations helps preserve balance and diversity in nature, which promotes overall environmental and human well-being.
Legends of the Resurrection Plant
One of the most intriguing legends related to hummingbirds and their doctor bird moniker involves their relationship with the fern Selaginella lepidophylla, commonly known as the resurrection plant.
This desert fern can survive extreme dehydration, appearing shriveled and dead. When exposed to moisture again, it rapidly unfurls and turns green again, seeming to “resurrect” like magic.
Ancient Mexicans noticed hummingbirds would sit on dried resurrection plants after rainfall and appear to breathe life back into them as the plants remarkably revived. They viewed this as a spiritual sign of the hummingbird’s power to restore life, bestowing these tiny healers sacred status.
Elements of this legend also appeared in the folklore of the Seri people of northern Mexico. They shared stories of doctor hummingbirds bringing dead plants back to life by singing magical songs and bestowing divine nectar upon them. The Seri called hummingbirds “comitánxz” meaning “plant awakener.”
While hummingbirds clearly do not possess any actual supernatural abilities, these legends reveal the reverence these tiny birds garnered across cultures for their positive life-giving influence on plants.
The Miraculous Escape Artist
A final theory proposes hummingbirds earned the moniker of doctor bird based on their extraordinary tenacity and ability to escape dire situations that would kill most other living creatures. Hummingbirds have an almost miraculous capacity to endure and recover from physical travails that should be impossible for a creature so small.
Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of any animal relative to their size. Their average resting heartbeat ranges from 250 to 500 beats per minute with a respiration rate of 250 breaths per minute. However, they can raise their heart rate to over 1000 beats per minute during flight and exertion.
This gives them incredible stamina and surprising toughness. There are many amazing stories of hummingbirds found resurrected after being trapped for days in garages with no food, being caught in violent hailstorms, or even frozen in blocks of ice only to later revive once thawed.
Like cats with nine lives, hummingbirds seem to repeatedly cheat death due to their physiological resilience and rapid healing abilities. Their tenacious spirit always keeps them buzzing despite the odds. For this apparent ability to “come back from the dead”, they earned reputations through history as miraculous healers.
Conclusion
In summary, several key theories help explain how hummingbirds came to be known as doctor birds throughout history and across cultures:
<1> They act as plant doctors by pollinating flowers critical for reproduction.
<2> They uplift spirits and promote emotional well-being.
<3> Their body parts were used medicinally by indigenous cultures.
<4> Legends depict them magically reviving dead plants.
<5> They recover remarkably from near death experiences.
The doctor bird moniker reflects the multifaceted positive relationship hummingbirds maintain with nature and people. While not actually miraculous healers, hummingbirds do enrich ecosystems, enhance human mental health, and inspire awe with their resilience and zest for living. These captivating tiny birds will likely continue to be called doctors, delighting and amazing us for centuries to come.