Varied topographic, floristic and climate characteristics were the forces which have generated such vast diversity of hummingbird species. Due to their incredible adaptability the hummingbirds are found in nearly all geographic regions of the Americas.
Over the years many evolutionary theories on hummingbirds diversification has arisen. For instance according to the Bleiweiss theory the hummingbirds originated in the lowland tropical forests. With the uprising of the new mountain rangers – the Andes, new ecosystems have appeared and the hummingbirds began to colonise the highlands, which has caused changes in their appearance, size, coloration and behaviour in order to adapt to different habitats. Later on, some of those new species even recolonized the tropics descending again from the paramos.
It is believed the ancestors of hummingbirds were birds similar to the swifts that fed on insects and used hovering as a new type of flight, which was finally exploited by the hummingbirds to feed on nectar.
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