GC7APVQ Mellisuga Helenae
Type: Traditional | Size: Micro | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: MikeAndJuli @ | Hide Date: 10/09/2017 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N39° 00.884 W104° 44.239 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0

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The first MikeAndJuli geocache hide since 2014 is finally here!

This cache is named after the worlds smallest bird, the bee hummingbird (or Mellisuga helenae).  The cache itself is unique, but shouldn't be difficult at all to find.

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Mellisuga helenae (Bee Hummingbird) are residents of Cuba, an island located in the West Indies. Today, bee hummingbirds inhabit the entire island and Isla de la Juventud, which is the largest of the islands off Cuba's southern coast. There have also been several bee hummingbird sightings on the neighboring islands of Jamaica and Haiti.

Bee hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world. They also spend a higher percentage of their lives flying than any other species. They are comparable in size to large bees. Female M. helenae tend to be slightly larger than males. Males grow to be 5.51 cm long and weigh 1.95 g, on average, while females grow to be 6.12 cm long and weigh 2.6 g, on average. This small species is very compact and agile with an average wingspan of 3.25 cm. These birds have straight and rather short beaks when compared with other species of hummingbirds. Male M. helenae can be distinguished by their bright colors and the iridescent feathers on their throats. They have specially adapted flight muscles, which make up 22 to 34 percent of their total body weight. Mellisuga helenae (and other hummingbirds) are also equipped with a large keel and tapered wings, which aid in flying. As is common among other hummingbirds, their shoulder joints allow their wings to rotate 180 degrees and their small feet and legs can only be used for perching.

 

06/02/2019 By anchrgm
Super fun container! TFTC!

02/09/2019 By kenyansherpa
Hiking with Kssweetie and picked up a couple of geocaches. Thanks to MikeAndJuli for the placment and maintenance of this clever cache! All is well with the container and the log.

02/09/2019 By kssweetie
Found with Kenyansherpa on a cool, cloudy walk in the woods. Thanks!

01/05/2019 By maverick101
Loved this one...TFTCSL.

12/28/2018 By AtheField
Such a cool tiny cache. Well done! TFTC!

08/10/2018 By Edwards654
Enjoyed the walk to this one, on a nice geocaching morning. Tftc

08/08/2018 By Larsharley
Neat place for birds. TFTC.

07/29/2018 By rpierson10
Great hide!!

07/28/2018 By FluffyNinja
Cute container! We saw 27 antelope on our way to this location today. Thanks for the adventure.

07/28/2018 By GeoGlena
A tour of the nearby historic Black Forest Log School, then a picnic, then some geocaching with FluffyNinja, mwdaley, judyhoe, and Rene -- all together equals a great day. Thanks for adding to the fun.