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Screengrab via Mike Fifer/YouTube

Man rescuing a baby hummingbird will give you hope for humanity

The world's not so bad, you guys.

 

David Britton

Internet Culture

Posted on Jun 11, 2016   Updated on May 26, 2021, 3:20 pm CDT

Hummingbirds are pretty amazing creatures. Not only are they the only birds that can fly backwards but they also have the highest metabolism rate of any non-insect. 

Even these wonders of nature need a little help, though. That’s where Mike Fifer comes in. When his wife Robin found an injured baby hummingbird on their lawn, Fifer went the distance to nurse it back to health.

Watching the little fella repeatedly fall off the bird bath is heartbreakingly adorable, but—not to fear—it seems to be doing fine now. According to an update posted by Fifer, the mother has located her wayward child and has taken over feeding duties.

This isn’t the first time a man has found a baby hummingbird on the verge of death and nursed it back to health. Back in April, Ed Gernon of Whittier, California was out for a walk with his dog when he discovered what he assumed was a dead bird. Instead, Gernon and his canine companion ended up with a new roommate: a hummingbird he similarly resuscitated. 

In this case it seems like the little lost bird won’t be moving in, which is too bad. It would have looked pretty cute riding around on one of Fifers model trains.

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*First Published: Jun 11, 2016, 5:46 pm CDT