iPhone SDK Application Development

Colophon

The image on the cover of iPhone SDK Application Development is a red-billed streamertail hummingbird (Trochilus polytmus). The hummingbird, a native of Jamaica, is affectionately nicknamed the “doctor bird” because its long tail feathers cross like the coattails that once were a part of doctors’ uniforms.

The country of Jamaica houses more than 200 species of birds, but the popular red-billed streamertail, common throughout Jamaica and featured on the country’s currency, is the national bird. Bird watchers from around the world often travel to Jamaica to view the red-billed streamertail and its cousin, the black-billed streamertail. Bird enthusiasts will find that the best time to spot streamertails is during the seasons of winter and spring, as that is when hummingbirds from Mississippi and the Atlantic flyway migrate to Jamaica.

Female hummingbirds build nests out of moss and plants and will bind their nests with threads from spiders’ webs. After an incubation period of two to three weeks, the female hummingbird will give birth to featherless babies, whom she will feed regurgitated insects until they can fly some distance on their own.

The small size of the red-billed streamertail and other hummingbirds renders them vulnerable to predators. In spite of this vulnerability, the agile hummingbird often taunts predators such as hawks in an effort to seize more territory when migrating. However, this bold behavior can backfire against other predators. Larger species of the praying ...