It is often said that size does not matter, but there are circumstances where dimensions play a crucial role. In nature, size can be decisive for the survival of a species, as recently demonstrated in a street incident in which a small hummingbird found itself in a delicate situation, precisely because of an object that was too big for it.
This curious event, shared by The Dodo, took place on a busy street in Los Angeles, where Sabine Hoppner, a local resident, witnessed the bird’s unusual fight. During her daily walk, the woman observed the tiny hummingbird trying to lift itself off the ground with a stick several times its size. At first, the hummingbird’s attempt seemed simply an act of overestimating his physical capabilities.
However, upon closer inspection, Hoppner realized that the situation was more serious than it seemed. “I noticed that he was flying erratically, almost stuck in traffic. At first I thought he was too ambitious, trying to grab the stick, but then I saw that he was in trouble and getting tired,” he said.
The hummingbird drama was complicated when Hoppner discovered that the bird was not holding the stick of its own volition, but was trapped in it. His beak had gotten caught on the object, preventing him from flying properly and causing him to repeatedly fall every time he attempted to take off. Faced with this worrying panorama, Hoppner did not hesitate to intervene to help the little hummingbird.
With a quick decision, Hoppner used his shirt to wrap the hummingbird and reduce its anxiety and the possibility of harm. “I caught him by throwing his shirt over him,” he explained. With care and delicacy, he managed to free the hummingbird’s beak from the stick.
Once the problem was resolved, the hummingbird regained its freedom and quickly disappeared into the sky. From the looks of it, he was able to return to his usual hummingbird routine, although how he ended up with his beak impaled on a stick will never be known. “I have no idea how he ended up in such a strange situation,” Hoppner reflected after the incident.
