Question

Flowers differ in how much sunlight they absorb. Why might this matter to a hummingbird seeking nectar on a cool morning?

Short answer

The hummingbird feeds nectar on a cool morning rather than seeking it at a hot temperature; the hummingbirds save their metabolic expense from warming nectar after feeding on the flowers.

Step-by-step solution

Hummingbird

The small nectar-feeding bird that comprises fast-moving wings mainly found in tropical forests is called a hummingbird. The several hummingbird characteristics are long narrow beaks, long wings, and a small streamlined body.

The different food sources of hummingbirds are nectar (carbohydrate source), tiny insects (protein source), and sap from trees.

Nectar

The sweet substance (solution of water and simple sugar like sucrose) attractive to pollinators like the hummingbird and bees extract from flowers is called nectar. The nectar composition includes sucrose, glucose, proteins, and essential oils.

Hummingbird feeding nectar on flowers

The amount and intensity of sunlight differ for plants to grow. The small endotherm with a higher metabolic rate feeds on those flowers which absorb sunlight; hummingbird directly gets warm nectar from these flowers without utilizing their metabolic expense (energy expended by a living organism).