Hummingbirds are amazing creatures to behold. They are the tiniest of birds, yet possess natural born super powers that enable them to fly backwards, upside-down, or hold perfectly still in mid-air. Their wings flap over 50 times per second and their hearts beat over 1,000 times per minute.
Come to the October New Mexico PBS Science Café on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Hiland Theatre to watch a segment from the new program NATURE “Super Hummingbirds." Then join a discussion with Christopher Witt, associate professor and curator of Birds, Dept. of Biology and Museum of Southwest Biology at UNM, whose research is featured in this national PBS documentary.
Witt will discuss new research on hummingbirds that live at high altitudes, both in the Andes and in the nearby mountains of New Mexico. Witt and his UNM team discovered that these tiny birds can fly at heights that would quickly put a human into a coma. Specially adapted blood-proteins allow hummingbirds to capture extra oxygen with every breath.
Witt will discuss this and other “super powers” of this remarkable family of birds. Results from his research published Oct. 20 in Science magazine.
Admission to the NM PBS Science Cafés is free, but a reservation is required. To signup directly, visit Science Café registration. Seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. RSVP now to save your spot.
For additional information, contact: Rose Poston, Community Outreach Coordinator, NM PBS Education & Outreach Department at (505) 277-2396 or email@example.com.