Photo and Commentary ©2023 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
As a kid growing up in the West, I found myself frustrated with books that seem to limit their thinking to the eastern part of the United States. The classic portrayal of birds always selected the Ruby-throated Hummingbird as being the archetype of all hummingbirds. The Blue Jay was apparently the only species of jay that existed, and the Baltimore Oriole reigned over other orioles relegating them into oblivion. I knew this wasn’t true for I had looked for these species and found none of them, but plenty of their close relatives. I am still slightly amused/annoyed when I hear someone refer to one of these Eastern species they just happened upon today in their Western backyard. So much for the dominance of the publishing houses in the East.
It is true, there are such birds as the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, even though this female lacks the jeweled throat of the male after which the species is named. And it does deserve appropriate recognition in its own right. One of its major accomplishments is the annual crossing of the Gulf of Mexico, a trip of at least 500 miles each way, a feat which it accomplishes twice a year. And it executes this task weighing less than a nickel.
Still, I must protest. As the representative of all hummingbirddom, (unusual word) one would think they could come up with a more fitting name for the order into which it is placed than Apodiformes, which literally means “without feet”. Even the blind publishers should be able to tell that isn’t true! It reminds me of what God’s messenger had to say: “How can you say, ‘We understand his laws, when your teachers have twisted them up to mean a thing I never said? These wise teachers of yours will be shamed by exile for this sin, for they have rejected the word of the Lord. Are they then so wise?” (Jeremiah 8:8-9 Living Bible) Maybe it’s not just those big publishers about whom we should be skeptical, maybe we should check our own biases.