In the deep Amazon rainforest of Colombia, there lives Chessie, a Chestnut-bellied hummingbird, or scientifically known as an Amazilia Castaneiventris. She is a small, pear-shaped female with a measly body size of just nine centimeters. She is a green-throated beauty with a chestnut-colored belly and brown wings that help her camouflage into her surroundings. Chessie has a straight black beak that helps her feed on sweet nectar from flowers such as Yatago flowers and flowers that grow on columnar cacti. She also feeds on small insects. She is an omnivore on the secondary consumer level of the pyramid. She is a seasonal creature, & active during the day.

Chessie lives in the tropical rainforest biome. She favors the rivers & streams that run through the forest, because she can readily bathe herself. She is a very cleanly bird. She often uses a twig to clean off any pollen debris from her bill. There are Orchids, Giant Water Lilies, & Passion fruit flowers that she feeds from. The climate is warm & humid in the rainforest. The average rainfall is about 250 cm per year! Other Chestnut-bellied hummingbirds live in the Savannas & grasslands, which have valleys with low trees & shrubs. Grasslands have hot summers & frigid winters. Savannas have wet summers & very dry winters. The hummingbirds migrate individually during the dry season, which is from November to April.

Chessie's impressive adaptations make her life easier to live. Her wings can beat up to 200 beats per second, making it easier to hover by flowers to feed. She has uniquely structured lungs that allow her to breathe up to 500 breaths per minute. She has a long, specialized tongue to collect nectar and feed on very small insects. These adaptations have allowed hummingbirds like herself to occupy a wide array of habitats and altitudes. These adaptations will help her with the big move she is making soon.

There are many variations of her species as well, such as the Ruby-throated hummingbird, the Rufous hummingbird, the Hermit, and the Violetear.

Chessie normally lives a solitary lifestyle, but right now she lives with her two offspring- Chester and Cara. She was able to produce the two of them at the same time, with a 14-16 day incubation period. She reproduces yearly through the K-reproductive strategy, meaning that her two offspring she slowly produces will have a better likelihood of surviving.

Chester and Cara have been living in the nest with Chessie for two weeks now, receiving lots of nurturing. There is only one more week left until they are mature enough to leave the nest. They are allowed to come back to receive feeding from Chessie as they learn their way into the world. Chessie tells them that she will be moving soon, so she won't always be there to feed them.

When Chester and Cara leave the nest permanently, Chessie will resume her solitary life. She doesn't socialize much with other Chestnut-bellied hummingbirds when it's not breeding season, & prefers to keep her nest to herself. The organisms in her ecosystem keep her enough company. She'll see the capybaras and anteaters pass below her tree every day. Northern Screamers fly by her nest. The Colombian Night-Monkeys will swing themselves by during the night and create a ruckus, but she's used to it. These monkeys are currently facing the same danger she is- human disturbance. However, they aren't in as much danger as she is.

FOOD WEB OF THE AMAZON FOREST

That's right, Chessie's species is endangered. They have been endangered ever since 1994, and critically endangered from 2000-2008. Human disturbance is what's causing Chessie to move. The wide wave of trees being cut down by humans is slowly progressing its way towards her tree. This is called deforestation. Humans are cutting down these trees in order to build industries, homes & even Agricultural sites. Increased human population in Colombia contributes to this. Her species is moving to coffee plantations , fruit crop plantations, and pastures. Her species is tolerant of habitat degradation, but their tolerance hasn't helped them maintain a stable population.

In 2009, the global population of her species was at 3,780. In 2011, the population drastically decreased to 1,200. Today, the world-wide population is around 1,000 to 2,499. There are 14 sites that hold these hummingbirds in captivity .

Colombia, where Chessie lives, is a developing country. Today, 49.3 million people live there. The population is always increasing, which means the amount of homes increases, too. Colombia deforests places like the Amazon Rainforest where Chessie lives in order to build these homes. These deforestation practices are the main reason why these hummingbirds' homes & food resources are decreasing.

Chessie's relatives that live in the savannas & grasslands are having negative effects by Agricultural production. The live-stock grazing and seasonal burning for farming is depleting them of their habitat. Pretty soon, they will be moving just like Chessie.