WEBVTT 00:00.876 --> 00:02.542 align:start The Center of Diversity for Hummingbirds 00:02.542 --> 00:05.459 align:start is the place that they evolved. 00:05.459 --> 00:08.459 align:start In western Ecuador the arid lowlands along the coast 00:08.459 --> 00:10.876 align:start give rise to a mountaintop forest where 00:10.876 --> 00:15.667 align:start fog waters the plants, which provide habitat for 00:15.667 --> 00:21.292 align:start colorful creatures, and which, when left alone, 00:21.292 --> 00:24.999 align:start preserve a way of life back down below 00:24.999 --> 00:29.375 align:start inLoma Alta, Ecuador. 00:29.999 --> 00:31.792 align:start Funding for The Desert Speaks 00:31.792 --> 00:33.999 align:start was provided by Desert Program Partners, 00:33.999 --> 00:38.042 align:start representing concerned viewers making a financial commitment 00:38.042 --> 00:42.375 align:start to the education about and preservation of deserts. 00:42.375 --> 00:46.417 align:start And by the Stonewall Foundation. 00:49.083 --> 01:10.292 align:start ♪ music ♪ 01:17.042 --> 01:19.999 align:start If you're interested in hummingbirds as I am, 01:19.999 --> 01:23.042 align:start the place you have to go to see the most species at 01:23.042 --> 01:28.459 align:start one time is in the cloud forest of western Ecuador. 01:28.459 --> 01:31.209 align:start That fits in well with the desires of a desert rat 01:31.209 --> 01:35.459 align:start because the country you have to go through to get 01:35.459 --> 01:38.751 align:start to the hummers is mostly arid, 01:38.751 --> 01:45.083 align:start you might even call it desert. 01:45.083 --> 01:48.959 align:start Our journey to the interior of Ecuador 01:48.959 --> 01:53.751 align:start begins inGuayaquil, Ecuador's biggest city. 01:53.751 --> 01:57.209 align:start Here we find all items necessary to go trekking 01:57.209 --> 02:00.709 align:start into the clouds. 02:00.709 --> 02:01.542 align:start Botas. 02:01.542 --> 02:02.542 align:start Botas. 02:02.542 --> 02:03.667 align:start De ula, si. 02:03.667 --> 02:04.501 align:start De ulas. 02:04.501 --> 02:06.167 align:start Hay una tienda cerca? 02:06.167 --> 02:08.918 align:start Aqui en la bahia... 02:08.918 --> 02:10.999 align:start It's not gonna rain in the desert but in 02:10.999 --> 02:14.999 align:start Ecuador you go from desert up into cloud forest at 02:14.999 --> 02:17.167 align:start times and it may well rain there so we gotta get a 02:17.167 --> 02:20.167 align:start tarp, we've gotta be able to tie it down. 02:20.167 --> 02:21.999 align:start Ropes the best thing to do it, 02:21.999 --> 02:24.667 align:start even if it is made of plastic. 02:24.667 --> 02:25.876 align:start Bueno. 02:25.876 --> 02:28.000 align:start Cuando es? 02:28.000 --> 02:29.918 align:start Aqui lunas. 02:29.918 --> 02:32.584 align:start We've got a whole bunch of stuff we gotta cover so 02:32.584 --> 02:34.999 align:start maybe we'll get a big one. 02:34.999 --> 02:39.292 align:start Sometimes you gotta pay money to get the best. 02:45.334 --> 02:46.999 align:start We're lucky that in Ecuador they, 02:46.999 --> 02:47.751 align:start they take dollars. 02:47.751 --> 02:49.459 align:start You don't have to worry about changing the currency. 02:49.459 --> 02:51.667 align:start It's not so great for Ecuador but it's certainly 02:51.667 --> 02:57.501 align:start great for the tourists. 02:57.501 --> 03:01.042 align:start I got rope now and I got a tarp for the truck. 03:01.042 --> 03:05.792 align:start The tougher thing may be to find boots. 03:05.792 --> 03:07.334 align:start Oh, okay.Gracias. 03:07.334 --> 03:10.334 align:start We've gotta go across the street. 03:10.334 --> 03:15.667 align:start I hate it when I get run over by heavy traffic. 03:15.667 --> 03:21.584 align:start And I've got a lot of people willing to help me find em. 03:24.501 --> 03:26.999 align:start It looks as though I've found a place where 03:26.999 --> 03:28.959 align:start they have boots. 03:28.959 --> 03:31.709 align:start Es cuarenta y dos? 03:31.709 --> 03:34.792 align:start Cuanto bahai? 03:34.792 --> 03:36.918 align:start Twenty-five. 03:36.918 --> 03:39.751 align:start You wouldn't, wouldn't think that boots are gonna 03:39.751 --> 03:41.334 align:start be necessary, we're going to a desert. 03:41.334 --> 03:43.709 align:start Well, fact is above the desert where the 03:43.709 --> 03:47.999 align:start hummingbirds live is what we call cloud forest 03:47.999 --> 03:51.584 align:start and it gets wet there and muddy. 03:51.584 --> 03:54.000 align:start Gracias. 04:00.999 --> 04:03.167 align:start The truck and tarp will be useful until a few hours 04:03.167 --> 04:05.999 align:start northwest ofGuayaquilin the village ofLoma Alta 04:05.999 --> 04:08.375 align:start where the road ends. 04:08.375 --> 04:12.584 align:start From there the trek is on foot or beat according to 04:12.584 --> 04:16.834 align:start directions given to me by Dusti Beker. 04:16.834 --> 04:19.999 align:start TheLoma Alta Ecological Reserveis a community 04:19.999 --> 04:24.876 align:start owned protected area in theColonche Hillsand 04:24.876 --> 04:30.792 align:start it's a watershed cared for by a community of 04:30.792 --> 04:37.334 align:start Ecuadorian rural farming families, about 3,000 families. 04:37.334 --> 04:40.375 align:start I've spoken to Dusti but have not met her. 04:40.375 --> 04:43.125 align:start It's an all day journey from the arid lowlands up 04:43.125 --> 04:47.751 align:start into the clouds where she's studying hummingbirds. 04:47.751 --> 04:51.292 align:start I couldn't find my way there without experienced 04:51.292 --> 04:55.125 align:start local guides. 04:58.209 --> 05:01.250 align:start It's a funny thing but these folks don't name 05:01.250 --> 05:06.834 align:start their mules so I guess I'll have to do that myself. 05:06.834 --> 05:11.999 align:start I can think of certain politicians who might qualify. 05:11.999 --> 05:13.999 align:start The upper part of the watershed is thisgarúa 05:13.999 --> 05:19.999 align:start forest classified as a tropical pre-montane moist 05:19.999 --> 05:24.125 align:start forest and then in the lowlands it's almost 05:24.125 --> 05:28.209 align:start desert and so it's a really important resource 05:28.209 --> 05:29.584 align:start for the community. 05:29.584 --> 05:32.292 align:start So it's not only a protected area for wildlife 05:32.292 --> 05:36.000 align:start but it's the source of water for the community. 05:36.000 --> 05:38.834 align:start What we realized in the 90s when we came here 05:38.834 --> 05:42.167 align:start in 1994 to study people-forest relationships 05:42.167 --> 05:44.876 align:start was that that was on paper but was 05:44.876 --> 05:48.125 align:start not being done by the local people. 05:48.125 --> 05:50.876 align:start In the beginning it was difficult, 05:50.876 --> 05:54.042 align:start a struggle, many locals depended on the lumber. 05:54.042 --> 06:01.999 align:start They harvested the wood in the forest for their own survival. 06:01.999 --> 06:06.125 align:start They cut down the hardwoods for building homes, 06:06.125 --> 06:11.292 align:start cabins and furniture. 06:11.292 --> 06:13.999 align:start They didn't want to change their way of life but now 06:13.999 --> 06:19.834 align:start everyone seems to accept the rules of the Preserve. 06:23.626 --> 06:26.375 align:start In this cloud forest where much of the year it's just 06:26.375 --> 06:32.999 align:start socked in with fog a lot of smaller plants go crazy. 06:32.999 --> 06:35.417 align:start For instance, these mosses and ball mosses 06:35.417 --> 06:39.667 align:start and bromeliads, tank bromeliads, even orchids, 06:39.667 --> 06:43.999 align:start they absorb the water which helps them to grow 06:43.999 --> 06:46.999 align:start but then they release the water slowly, 06:46.999 --> 06:49.250 align:start it drips down to the ground and maintains a 06:49.250 --> 06:53.999 align:start very moist soil, almost all year round. 06:53.999 --> 06:56.999 align:start And that makes for a more abundant plant growth and 06:56.999 --> 06:59.083 align:start more abundant animal growth because of the food 06:59.083 --> 07:02.167 align:start available and works to the enormous benefit of the 07:02.167 --> 07:06.999 align:start people who live down below. 07:08.999 --> 07:10.792 align:start Trente metro el bamboo? 07:10.792 --> 07:16.000 align:start So that means the bamboo grows over 100 feet tall in here. 07:24.167 --> 07:27.125 align:start Si, todo ese tiene propiedad, como nero. 07:27.125 --> 07:30.417 align:start So this always remains green because it's near 07:30.417 --> 07:32.918 align:start the, the river all year round. 07:32.918 --> 07:36.709 align:start Somebody has a small banana plantation and here 07:36.709 --> 07:38.999 align:start we are 3 or 4 miles from the town, 07:38.999 --> 07:43.042 align:start they have to come all this way to pick their banana. 07:43.042 --> 07:45.334 align:start Even though it's not raining the fog is coming 07:45.334 --> 07:48.918 align:start in and getting captured on the vegetation and then by 07:48.918 --> 07:51.959 align:start gravity dripping down into the ground and flowing 07:51.959 --> 07:53.584 align:start down to the village. 07:53.584 --> 07:57.876 align:start A la oja de la taquas usa para techos y cabanas? 07:57.876 --> 07:59.292 align:start Para casas? 07:59.292 --> 08:00.250 align:start Si, cabanas. 08:00.250 --> 08:02.751 align:start And so by studying the fog capture in thegarúa 08:02.751 --> 08:05.626 align:start forest we were able to help the local people 08:05.626 --> 08:08.459 align:start understand better how critical it was that they 08:08.459 --> 08:12.792 align:start protect these highland forests and so then they 08:12.792 --> 08:15.334 align:start made a decision as a community to make 08:15.334 --> 08:17.209 align:start their own protected area. 08:17.209 --> 08:19.083 align:start And that concept is spreading throughout the 08:19.083 --> 08:24.000 align:start communities in these Colonche Hills. 08:24.000 --> 08:26.834 align:start If the preserve didn't exist we we 08:26.834 --> 08:30.459 align:start would have to buy our water. 08:30.459 --> 08:33.999 align:start The neighboring communities buy their water. 08:33.999 --> 08:37.042 align:start They bring it in from other places. 08:37.042 --> 08:40.918 align:start It's a desert there. 08:40.918 --> 08:43.999 align:start There's such a huge variety of trees here that 08:43.999 --> 08:48.792 align:start it's hard to believe anybody could know 'em all. 08:48.792 --> 08:52.501 align:start The fact that we found out that this forest traps ten 08:52.501 --> 08:56.167 align:start times more water than if the forest was cleared and 08:56.167 --> 08:59.751 align:start made into pasture, was a revelation. 08:59.751 --> 09:03.083 align:start The, the actual science helped a lot for them to 09:03.083 --> 09:08.042 align:start understand the importance of their forest. 09:08.042 --> 09:11.417 align:start 90 percent of the community makes their 09:11.417 --> 09:13.999 align:start living from agriculture. 09:13.999 --> 09:16.417 align:start Two or three days after it rains up in the forest 09:16.417 --> 09:18.999 align:start they see that they have water in the streams down 09:18.999 --> 09:21.417 align:start below and since they depend on the water for 09:21.417 --> 09:27.709 align:start their crops they realize how important the preserve this. 09:29.959 --> 09:31.999 align:start Cinco horas todavia. 09:31.999 --> 09:32.999 align:start Mas y menos. 09:32.999 --> 09:37.042 align:start We've only got 5 hours to go, a piece of cake. 09:37.042 --> 09:41.999 align:start These trees have these huge leaves. 09:41.999 --> 09:43.999 align:start Es taquillo? 09:43.999 --> 09:46.542 align:start This forest has two very important products. 09:46.542 --> 09:49.709 align:start It's thetaquillopalm, which they use to weave 09:49.709 --> 09:52.626 align:start Panama hats from Ecuador of course and thetagua 09:52.626 --> 09:57.918 align:start nut, which is being used to replace ivory for carving. 09:57.918 --> 10:00.999 align:start My friendAlejandrowho's wearing camouflage today 10:00.999 --> 10:04.501 align:start has come up this path for the last 46 years, 10:04.501 --> 10:09.501 align:start many times a year, hundreds of times. 10:09.501 --> 10:12.959 align:start I'm 67 years old and I never get tired 10:12.959 --> 10:15.999 align:start of this land, this forest. 10:15.999 --> 10:21.501 align:start There have been many changes over the years. 10:21.501 --> 10:25.375 align:start Before the forest was protected the woodcutters 10:25.375 --> 10:33.999 align:start exploited the forest resources without any controls. 10:33.999 --> 10:38.042 align:start Some wood is still harvested but very, 10:38.042 --> 10:44.375 align:start very little compared to before. 10:48.626 --> 10:52.918 align:start Well, we just got to hear the howler monkeys. 10:52.918 --> 10:58.000 align:start [monkey noises] 11:06.167 --> 11:08.709 align:start I really do prefer walking than 11:08.709 --> 11:11.709 align:start riding but man, when you have mud like this maybe 11:11.709 --> 11:16.999 align:start those mules aren't so bad after all. 11:20.584 --> 11:24.501 align:start It's always a good idea to give a mule a wide berth 11:24.501 --> 11:28.667 align:start since they're prone to kick. 11:28.667 --> 11:32.667 align:start I feel like I'm hiking in a cloud forest. 11:32.667 --> 11:35.834 align:start As a matter of fact, I am. 11:35.834 --> 11:37.584 align:start Very nice hiking conditions. 11:37.584 --> 11:39.542 align:start The temperature's probably 85, 11:39.542 --> 11:42.167 align:start humidity is 95 percent. 11:42.167 --> 11:47.834 align:start We're out of the tick country. 11:47.834 --> 11:49.751 align:start This place is special, 11:49.751 --> 11:54.250 align:start a habitat for animals you can't find anywhere else. 11:54.250 --> 12:00.918 align:start We have mammals like deer, wild pigs,kinkajus, bush mice. 12:00.918 --> 12:04.667 align:start Up here air is clean, free of any pollution. 12:04.667 --> 12:10.000 align:start We breathe pure, fresh, clean air. 12:10.000 --> 12:13.292 align:start The hummingbirds are valued in this ecosystem. 12:13.292 --> 12:16.999 align:start They possess brilliant, attractive colors. 12:16.999 --> 12:19.667 align:start Many foreign tourists come to visit them. 12:19.667 --> 12:22.834 align:start In reality the majority of the local residents don't 12:22.834 --> 12:25.250 align:start know what a hummingbird is but because of the 12:25.250 --> 12:27.792 align:start research project we know that 22 different 12:27.792 --> 12:31.999 align:start hummingbird species are found here. 12:31.999 --> 12:36.209 align:start The hummingbirds were a huge surprise to us and we 12:36.209 --> 12:40.083 align:start didn't expect to find so many hummingbirds. 12:40.083 --> 12:42.999 align:start But what we discovered was a hummingbird oasis 12:42.999 --> 12:46.501 align:start because every dry season, so November, December, 12:46.501 --> 12:49.042 align:start January here, when the lowlands are extremely 12:49.042 --> 12:52.375 align:start dry, a lot of the shrubs and the trees and the 12:52.375 --> 12:55.918 align:start under story flowers and the canopy flowers bloom 12:55.918 --> 13:01.999 align:start and it creates a moist, cool buffet for these hummingbirds 13:01.999 --> 13:07.792 align:start and they just come in here by the thousands. 13:10.626 --> 13:11.918 align:start Bienvenido. 13:11.918 --> 13:13.709 align:start Bienvenido a este lugar. 13:13.709 --> 13:16.542 align:start Somebody said welcome but I'm not sure welcome to where. 13:16.542 --> 13:18.083 align:start It's not real clear where we are but we're here. 13:18.083 --> 13:22.709 align:start Oh, this is the hut in the forest, it's great. 13:22.709 --> 13:24.751 align:start Wow, excellent. 13:24.751 --> 13:26.334 align:start Hey, Dusti? 13:26.334 --> 13:28.209 align:start Hi, I'm Dave. 13:28.209 --> 13:30.292 align:start Hey, Dave. 13:30.292 --> 13:32.292 align:start Nice to meet you. 13:32.292 --> 13:33.000 align:start Nice to meet you, too. 13:33.000 --> 13:35.292 align:start Yeah, and congratulations on such a fantastic piece 13:35.292 --> 13:36.501 align:start of work you've done. 13:36.501 --> 13:37.292 align:start Oh, thank you very much. 13:37.292 --> 13:39.250 align:start Yeah, the guys have been filling me in. 13:39.250 --> 13:40.626 align:start That's awesome, yeah. 13:40.626 --> 13:41.999 align:start Well, more or less. 13:41.999 --> 13:43.667 align:start We don't need boots. 13:43.667 --> 13:44.834 align:start Yeah. 13:44.834 --> 13:46.042 align:start Oh,Alejandro, hey. 13:46.042 --> 13:47.375 align:start Muy bien ajente asi. 13:47.375 --> 13:48.083 align:start Bien, bien. 13:48.083 --> 13:49.999 align:start When the community started talking about whether to 13:49.999 --> 13:50.999 align:start protect the area they said, well, 13:50.999 --> 13:53.876 align:start you can't expand, you can't keep making more and 13:53.876 --> 13:56.250 align:start morepajataquilla fields but you can, 13:56.250 --> 14:01.584 align:start you know, just keep what you have. 14:01.584 --> 14:02.792 align:start Sure, that makes sense. 14:02.792 --> 14:04.918 align:start And so, so they, people agreed to that but it was 14:04.918 --> 14:07.918 align:start really the woodcutters that just couldn't see, 14:07.918 --> 14:10.999 align:start you know, how can we survive if we can't cut wood. 14:10.999 --> 14:12.375 align:start As they've got a point, I guess. 14:12.375 --> 14:13.459 align:start And it's still a problem. 14:13.459 --> 14:15.584 align:start I mean, there's still people that need to cut wood. 14:15.584 --> 14:17.459 align:start Is there, is there illicit, illicit cutting? 14:17.459 --> 14:18.501 align:start Oh, yeah. 14:18.501 --> 14:18.999 align:start Yeah. 14:18.999 --> 14:20.999 align:start But the good news is that there are a lot of trees 14:20.999 --> 14:23.000 align:start that are not any good for wood. 14:23.000 --> 14:23.834 align:start Yeah. 14:23.834 --> 14:25.751 align:start So, so we still have a forest, 14:25.751 --> 14:27.999 align:start we still have a forest that traps fog, 14:27.999 --> 14:30.334 align:start we still have a forest that gives homes to 14:30.334 --> 14:32.334 align:start animals and. Show us around. 14:32.334 --> 14:33.375 align:start Oh, yeah, yeah, sure. 14:33.375 --> 14:35.999 align:start So this is the camp and probably the most critical 14:35.999 --> 14:38.999 align:start things in the camp is that you know where 14:38.999 --> 14:40.000 align:start the drinking water is. 14:40.000 --> 14:40.626 align:start Yes, you bet. 14:40.626 --> 14:42.918 align:start So, over here, cause it's been a drought this year so 14:42.918 --> 14:46.250 align:start they didn't get rains, they didn't get their fog season. 14:46.250 --> 14:47.999 align:start That's why it looks so barren. 14:47.999 --> 14:51.501 align:start And, so we're hauling water from a stream back 14:51.501 --> 14:53.250 align:start down this way, a spring. 14:53.250 --> 14:57.250 align:start I see. So we, we probably shouldn't have a lot of fights? 14:57.250 --> 14:57.959 align:start Uh, no, yeah. 14:57.959 --> 15:00.876 align:start We'll, we'll try, try to keep that to a minimum. 15:00.876 --> 15:02.125 align:start No water fights. 15:02.125 --> 15:03.999 align:start Because of the, we work with birds, 15:03.999 --> 15:05.584 align:start we get a lot of bird lice on us. 15:05.584 --> 15:06.999 align:start Oh, really? 15:06.999 --> 15:07.209 align:start Yeah. 15:07.209 --> 15:10.042 align:start Well, we got plenty of ticks on our pants coming up. 15:10.042 --> 15:10.501 align:start Yeah. 15:10.501 --> 15:13.209 align:start And there are a lot of, there are also forest chiggers. 15:13.209 --> 15:14.999 align:start And we've got people living upstairs, 15:14.999 --> 15:19.999 align:start and we've got a nice base for you guys. 15:28.876 --> 15:30.834 align:start Another reason that hummingbirds are such a, 15:30.834 --> 15:34.918 align:start a great group of species for the conservation work that 15:34.918 --> 15:39.125 align:start we do here is that a lot of people love hummingbirds. 15:39.125 --> 15:41.459 align:start They're adorable, they fly fast, 15:41.459 --> 15:42.918 align:start there are all kinds of statistics, 15:42.918 --> 15:45.459 align:start the colors of them and so they really are a 15:45.459 --> 15:49.999 align:start potential attractant for ecological tourism to this 15:49.999 --> 15:53.709 align:start reserve and for this area in general. 15:53.709 --> 15:55.999 align:start Because we have some endemic species and some 15:55.999 --> 15:59.250 align:start endangered species the bird watchers who are 15:59.250 --> 16:01.918 align:start really enthusiastic about seeing something they've 16:01.918 --> 16:03.999 align:start never seen before have a chance to see 16:03.999 --> 16:06.834 align:start Esmeralda's Wood Star, little wood stars, 16:06.834 --> 16:11.167 align:start species that are unique to this area, Baron's Hermit. 16:11.167 --> 16:15.167 align:start So that's, that's a reason that hummingbirds may well 16:15.167 --> 16:18.375 align:start help this community in the, in the long run 16:18.375 --> 16:21.834 align:start and we want to know more about the hummingbirds. 16:21.834 --> 16:22.999 align:start Now, what did you call him? 16:22.999 --> 16:25.999 align:start A speckled hummingbird and you can see the, 16:25.999 --> 16:28.999 align:start the line across the eye? 16:28.999 --> 16:29.542 align:start Oh, yeah. 16:29.542 --> 16:31.501 align:start That's a, none of the other guys have that line 16:31.501 --> 16:36.083 align:start and then in the, in the chest all these little dots. 16:36.083 --> 16:38.167 align:start Oh, yeah, yeah, usually you think of a hummingbird 16:38.167 --> 16:39.999 align:start hovering in front of the flower, 16:39.999 --> 16:40.999 align:start going to the next one. 16:40.999 --> 16:44.292 align:start This guy just crawls all over the place, it's unique. 16:44.292 --> 16:47.334 align:start And also when, if he's approached by another 16:47.334 --> 16:49.792 align:start speckle, another, challenged by another one, 16:49.792 --> 16:52.250 align:start you'll see em, boy, they just, they just kind 16:52.250 --> 16:54.375 align:start of raise back and they get those feet out there. 16:54.375 --> 16:55.999 align:start I mean, you think he's a little hawk. 16:55.999 --> 16:57.584 align:start So they fight with their feet? 16:57.584 --> 16:58.999 align:start Well, they defend, you know. 16:58.999 --> 17:00.083 align:start Yeah, okay. 17:00.083 --> 17:01.959 align:start It's just a defense thing. 17:01.959 --> 17:03.375 align:start Como se assi muy elementacion. 17:03.375 --> 17:05.834 align:start So they, a very specialized hummingbird 17:05.834 --> 17:07.667 align:start comes up to these flowers when they're younger and 17:07.667 --> 17:09.834 align:start its beak is perfectly fit to slip inside the flowers 17:09.834 --> 17:15.167 align:start even before they open and get the nectar out. 17:15.167 --> 17:17.334 align:start So it's a, it's a remarkable relationship 17:17.334 --> 17:20.876 align:start between the flower and the hummingbird, 17:20.876 --> 17:23.542 align:start they need each other. 17:26.918 --> 17:29.999 align:start I've got a Green Crown Brilliant here and then 17:29.999 --> 17:31.999 align:start these are mysteries. 17:31.999 --> 17:35.918 align:start We'll have to find out when we open the bags. 17:35.918 --> 17:38.584 align:start You can tell you have a hummingbird in the bag 17:38.584 --> 17:41.000 align:start because they always have their little, 17:41.000 --> 17:45.125 align:start little talon sticking out and they're always, 17:45.125 --> 17:47.626 align:start you know, two above, one below. 17:47.626 --> 17:48.501 align:start It's so cute. 17:48.501 --> 17:50.959 align:start They're like Christmas presents cause you don't 17:50.959 --> 17:54.167 align:start know what's gonna be inside them. 17:54.167 --> 17:57.999 align:start Ah, Green Crown Brilliant. 17:57.999 --> 17:59.626 align:start At one point in time they actually thought it was a 17:59.626 --> 18:06.501 align:start different species until someone started to look at the age. 18:06.501 --> 18:10.876 align:start Okay, common is 20.7. 18:10.876 --> 18:13.250 align:start Fellow Arizona Susan Wethington coordinates 18:13.250 --> 18:17.209 align:start international hummingbird research including the 18:17.209 --> 18:23.292 align:start hummers in this preserve. 18:23.292 --> 18:25.125 align:start Susan, this is net 14. 18:25.125 --> 18:28.250 align:start Okay. 18:28.250 --> 18:31.167 align:start Now if you get real close here you can see mites 18:31.167 --> 18:33.876 align:start running up and down this bird's beak. 18:33.876 --> 18:37.999 align:start Hummingbird beaks are the transportation for these mites. 18:37.999 --> 18:39.417 align:start The mites live in the flowers and when the 18:39.417 --> 18:43.292 align:start hummingbirds visit the flowers they jump a ride 18:43.292 --> 18:46.999 align:start on their beak and go to the next flower. 18:46.999 --> 18:48.918 align:start If you were to consider that the center of 18:48.918 --> 18:50.751 align:start diversity for Hummingbirds is the place that they 18:50.751 --> 18:54.999 align:start evolved, then we're really close to it. 18:54.999 --> 18:59.250 align:start I see no mites. Goes from the small Esmarelda's and 18:59.250 --> 19:02.417 align:start Little Wood Star, which is smaller than our Calliope, 19:02.417 --> 19:05.000 align:start which is the smallest one in North America. 19:05.000 --> 19:06.999 align:start They weigh in about 1.8 grams. 19:06.999 --> 19:09.834 align:start If you hold a penny in your hand that has copper, it 19:09.834 --> 19:15.250 align:start weighs three grams, so about half the weight of a penny. 19:15.250 --> 19:17.501 align:start This bird is one of the larger birds. 19:17.501 --> 19:20.667 align:start It can have, be up to over 9 grams. 19:20.667 --> 19:21.999 align:start Ah, look at that. 19:21.999 --> 19:23.292 align:start And now it's feeding well. 19:23.292 --> 19:24.501 align:start Wow, that's great. 19:24.501 --> 19:25.918 align:start That's a Baron's Hermit. 19:25.918 --> 19:28.999 align:start It's, it's a real specialist onheliconia. 19:28.999 --> 19:30.375 align:start That's a flower, is it? 19:30.375 --> 19:31.709 align:start It's a flower, yeah. 19:31.709 --> 19:34.000 align:start And it's real, the flower is really curved so it 19:34.000 --> 19:35.751 align:start needs the curved beak. 19:35.751 --> 19:38.000 align:start Did the flower evolve with the beak? 19:38.000 --> 19:38.584 align:start Seems to. 19:38.584 --> 19:40.459 align:start That's what, that's what we think. 19:40.459 --> 19:41.834 align:start I'll be darned. 19:41.834 --> 19:43.375 align:start It's a co-evolution. 19:43.375 --> 19:45.999 align:start That's, that's a pretty unique bird around here. 19:45.999 --> 19:48.125 align:start Ah, there he goes. 19:48.125 --> 19:49.626 align:start We've had speckled. 19:49.626 --> 19:51.667 align:start Yeah, we had the speckled. 19:51.667 --> 19:53.709 align:start We had the Baron's. 19:53.709 --> 19:59.876 align:start The most closely related bird to hummingbirds are the Swifts. 19:59.876 --> 20:03.209 align:start Do Swifts hover? 20:03.209 --> 20:06.125 align:start They do not have the ability to hover. 20:06.125 --> 20:07.584 align:start I see. 20:07.584 --> 20:09.459 align:start So hummingbirds really specialize in that. 20:09.459 --> 20:13.042 align:start That is the uniqueness of hummingbirds. 20:13.042 --> 20:16.501 align:start This Green Crown Brilliant you can see is a really 20:16.501 --> 20:18.999 align:start tranquil bird. 20:18.999 --> 20:21.584 align:start It tends to perch on your finger. 20:21.584 --> 20:25.459 align:start This species has a very large range as opposed to 20:25.459 --> 20:27.584 align:start the hermit, which is endemic. 20:27.584 --> 20:29.375 align:start Hey, and I have anamazelia. 20:29.375 --> 20:30.834 align:start That's so funny. 20:30.834 --> 20:33.999 align:start Susan, what size herRufus Tail? 20:33.999 --> 20:36.042 align:start All theamazeliashave this red beak, right? 20:36.042 --> 20:39.792 align:start Yeah, although this one isn't as significant. 20:39.792 --> 20:41.834 align:start But in this last haul it's interesting that we have 20:41.834 --> 20:45.417 align:start representatives from three different species and 20:45.417 --> 20:47.834 align:start the same genus. 20:47.834 --> 20:49.999 align:start Okay, now here's the third representative, 20:49.999 --> 20:51.999 align:start we haven't banded him yet. 20:51.999 --> 20:52.999 align:start Oh, there you go. 20:52.999 --> 20:54.459 align:start And you see it doesn't have, 20:54.459 --> 20:56.375 align:start it has red on the bottom, or it typically does. 20:56.375 --> 20:59.417 align:start And a much finer, look how much finer that beak is. 20:59.417 --> 20:59.999 align:start Much finer. 20:59.999 --> 21:02.042 align:start So are you adding and adding information that changes the. 21:02.042 --> 21:05.042 align:start We're adding information, especially range extensions. 21:05.042 --> 21:08.999 align:start Hummingbirds are the second most diverse family 21:08.999 --> 21:13.501 align:start in the New World and the amount of information that 21:13.501 --> 21:16.167 align:start we know about hummingbirds in the tropics is pretty 21:16.167 --> 21:19.999 align:start small compared to what we know in the temperate zone. 21:19.999 --> 21:21.959 align:start One of the cool things that Susan told me about 21:21.959 --> 21:25.083 align:start was that when the hummingbirds get older 21:25.083 --> 21:26.999 align:start and, the female hummingbirds, 21:26.999 --> 21:29.584 align:start they will begin to androgynize. 21:29.584 --> 21:30.834 align:start They'll, they'll, you know, 21:30.834 --> 21:32.709 align:start maybe their hormones change just like, 21:32.709 --> 21:34.542 align:start like we do, you know, just like. 21:34.542 --> 21:36.584 align:start They all undergo menopause in other words. 21:36.584 --> 21:39.417 align:start You hit 50 and you sprout a few beard hairs and you 21:39.417 --> 21:40.999 align:start sprout a mustache, you know. 21:40.999 --> 21:43.417 align:start Well, these guys start to have a little bit of the 21:43.417 --> 21:45.626 align:start male plumage, or these gals. 21:45.626 --> 21:48.999 align:start Yeah. 21:48.999 --> 21:50.918 align:start It's surprising how much we don't know about 21:50.918 --> 21:54.125 align:start hummingbirds and the goal is to be able to know 21:54.125 --> 21:57.792 align:start what's necessary to preserve and conserve as 21:57.792 --> 22:01.083 align:start many hummingbird species as possible. 22:01.083 --> 22:01.999 align:start Yeah. 22:01.999 --> 22:05.083 align:start We're gonna look at the nectar in the flowers. 22:05.083 --> 22:05.959 align:start Yeah. 22:05.959 --> 22:07.834 align:start When you're processing them you want to be real 22:07.834 --> 22:09.999 align:start careful about their wings because their wings are, 22:09.999 --> 22:12.751 align:start if they hurt the wings they're in trouble. 22:12.751 --> 22:15.083 align:start What is this, a 62, for the wing? 22:15.083 --> 22:17.167 align:start One of the reasons we band through the bag is that 22:17.167 --> 22:22.584 align:start you can make sure you can get the band on without. 22:22.584 --> 22:24.999 align:start Okay, this is a Wood Creeper and you can see on 22:24.999 --> 22:27.999 align:start the tail here that it has these really strong 22:27.999 --> 22:31.501 align:start feather shafts and that helps it climb up the 22:31.501 --> 22:35.876 align:start trees and it's a Wedge Built Wood Creeper. 22:35.876 --> 22:38.209 align:start And there's a whole group, a diverse group of wood 22:38.209 --> 22:46.250 align:start creepers that climb the trees around here. 22:48.083 --> 22:50.792 align:start I can just hear the buzzing of his wings so 22:50.792 --> 22:52.125 align:start I know that's a hummer. 22:52.125 --> 22:54.083 align:start .one hummer but I don't know about the other. 22:54.083 --> 22:55.501 align:start This is a hummer. 22:55.501 --> 22:55.959 align:start Yeah. 22:55.959 --> 22:57.542 align:start The amazing thing about this place is that we're 22:57.542 --> 23:02.501 align:start catching about 50 percent nectivores or hummingbirds. 23:02.501 --> 23:05.042 align:start About 50 percent of the birds that we're catching 23:05.042 --> 23:08.209 align:start are hummingbirds and about 15 percent are 23:08.209 --> 23:13.209 align:start fruitivores, like this Yellow Throated Bush Taninger 23:13.209 --> 23:17.667 align:start and then the balance is made up of the insectivores. 23:17.667 --> 23:20.792 align:start So there's a lot of nectar around here to be found 23:20.792 --> 23:22.876 align:start if you're a hummingbird. 23:22.876 --> 23:23.501 align:start Yeah. 23:23.501 --> 23:26.000 align:start That's why we call it a hummingbird oasis. 23:26.000 --> 23:26.709 align:start Yeah. 23:26.709 --> 23:28.417 align:start And, you know, we're up in the highlands in the fog 23:28.417 --> 23:30.501 align:start forest whereas if you go down into the lowlands 23:30.501 --> 23:33.459 align:start into that more desert conditions and dry forest 23:33.459 --> 23:37.417 align:start conditions we only get consistently three species 23:37.417 --> 23:38.542 align:start of hummingbirds. 23:38.542 --> 23:39.709 align:start And this one is one of em. 23:39.709 --> 23:41.667 align:start If you were to go down, back into the villages 23:41.667 --> 23:46.292 align:start this would be the most likely hummingbird you'd see. 23:46.292 --> 23:48.918 align:start If you take it from a human perspective of what 23:48.918 --> 23:50.584 align:start does it do for humans? 23:50.584 --> 23:52.542 align:start Well, they're very important pollinators. 23:52.542 --> 23:54.999 align:start A number of the fruits that are unique to Ecuador 23:54.999 --> 23:57.999 align:start and throughout the New World would not be 23:57.999 --> 24:00.999 align:start pollinated if it were not for hummingbirds. 24:00.999 --> 24:03.751 align:start There are a number of plants also would not 24:03.751 --> 24:09.042 align:start have viable seeds. 24:09.042 --> 24:11.999 align:start One of the things that I think are important for hummingbirds 24:11.999 --> 24:14.334 align:start conservation is just the joy they give to people. 24:14.334 --> 24:18.167 align:start It's the rare event where you don't find somebody 24:18.167 --> 24:21.417 align:start that just is amazed and dazzled by these 24:21.417 --> 24:25.792 align:start incredible creatures. 24:25.792 --> 24:27.459 align:start Are you ready to adopt? 24:27.459 --> 24:32.000 align:start Well, I, I have to talk to my wife first. 24:32.000 --> 24:33.792 align:start There, here you go. 24:33.792 --> 24:34.999 align:start Come on sweetheart. 24:34.999 --> 24:36.000 align:start There she goes. 24:36.000 --> 24:38.709 align:start The people ofLoma Alta have come to understand 24:38.709 --> 24:42.167 align:start clearly that the existence of a preserve that 24:42.167 --> 24:44.999 align:start protects plants and animals can produce 24:44.999 --> 24:49.501 align:start conflicts in the community, often deep ones. 24:49.501 --> 24:53.751 align:start But they also acknowledge that an agrarian community 24:53.751 --> 24:57.375 align:start in an arid environment is totally dependent 24:57.375 --> 25:01.334 align:start on one commodity, water. 25:02.542 --> 25:03.999 align:start Next time on The Desert Speaks. 25:03.999 --> 25:07.999 align:start From the Sonoran Desert to the cloud forest of western Ecuador. 25:07.999 --> 25:11.209 align:start We've only got 5 hours to go, piece of cake. 25:11.209 --> 25:13.999 align:start .the tiny hummingbird always attracts 25:13.999 --> 25:16.999 align:start the interest of scientists. 25:16.999 --> 25:18.999 align:start Intercontinental studies are adding to our 25:18.999 --> 25:21.999 align:start knowledge of these winged jewels and their 25:21.999 --> 25:29.000 align:start preservation is helping to maintain local economies. 25:31.667 --> 25:33.876 align:start Hummingbirds see red and when they see red 25:33.876 --> 25:36.334 align:start they're interested and this plant gives a road 25:36.334 --> 25:39.626 align:start map, a sign at the side of the trail where the 25:39.626 --> 25:42.751 align:start hummingbirds fly that underneath are "goodies". 25:42.751 --> 25:44.834 align:start They find flowers, red flowers, 25:44.834 --> 25:47.999 align:start that have nectar inside, they bring the pollen on 25:47.999 --> 25:49.999 align:start their beaks, they go after the nectar, 25:49.999 --> 25:53.751 align:start the plant gets fertilized, the hummingbirds get fed. 25:53.751 --> 25:56.999 align:start The red works to both their advantage and that's 25:56.999 --> 26:01.667 align:start the way evolution works here in the cloud forest. 26:02.167 --> 26:04.209 align:start Funding for The Desert Speaks 26:04.209 --> 26:06.584 align:start was provided by Desert Program Partners, 26:06.584 --> 26:09.417 align:start representing concerned viewers making a financial commitment 26:09.417 --> 26:14.459 align:start to the education about and preservation of deserts. 26:14.459 --> 26:18.542 align:start And by the Stonewall Foundation. 26:19.000 --> 26:24.375 align:start Copies of the Desert Speaks are available from KUAT. 26:24.375 --> 26:29.876 align:start To order, call 1-800-841-5923 26:29.876 --> 26:33.792 align:start and please be sure to mention the episode number. 26:33.792 --> 26:41.375 align:start For more information visitThe Desert Speaks on-line at this address.