Hummingbirds

Basic Information

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards and upside down!

The smallest hummingbird in the world, the Bee Hummingbird, weighs less than a penny – only about 1.95 grams!

A group of hummingbirds is called a “charm,” “glittering,” or “shimmer” of hummingbirds!

Scientists have discovered over 360 different species of hummingbirds, and they all live in North and South America!

The average lifespan of a wild hummingbird is 3–5 years, but some have lived up to 12 years in captivity!

A baby hummingbird is called a chick, while adult males and females are simply referred to as “males” and “females.”

The fastest hummingbird can fly at speeds up to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) during special diving displays!

Hummingbirds belong to the scientific family Trochilidae, which comes from the Ancient Greek word “trochilos,” meaning “small bird”!

Most hummingbirds are smaller than an adult’s thumb, ranging from 2.25 to 8.5 inches (6 to 22 cm) in length!

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird weighs about as much as a nickel – just 3 grams!

Physical Characteristics

A hummingbird’s heart beats up to 1,260 times per minute during flight – that’s about 21 beats every second!

Hummingbirds have between 1,000 to 1,500 feathers, while larger birds like swans can have over 25,000!

A hummingbird’s brain makes up 4.2% of its body weight, which is the largest brain-to-body ratio of all birds!

Hummingbirds can move their wings in a figure-8 pattern, which helps them hover in place!

A hummingbird’s wingspan ranges from 3 to 5 inches – about the width of a small child’s hand!

A hummingbird’s tongue can stretch to almost double the length of its beak!

The average hummingbird’s heart is about the size of a pencil eraser!

Hummingbirds have exceptional color vision and can see ultraviolet light that humans can’t see!

A hummingbird’s wings beat between 50 to 200 times per second during normal flight!

Behavior & Intelligence

Hummingbirds can remember every flower they’ve visited and how long it will take for the flower to refill with nectar!

Hummingbirds visit up to 2,000 flowers per day when feeding!

Hummingbirds can fly up, down, left, right, and even backwards!

During the night, hummingbirds enter a deep sleep called “torpor” where their heart rate drops to just 50 beats per minute to save energy!

Male hummingbirds perform spectacular diving displays during courtship, swooping down from heights of up to 100 feet (30 meters)!

Hummingbirds are naturally solitary birds and don’t form flocks like many other bird species!

Hummingbirds have excellent memory and can remember feeders and gardens from previous years when they migrate!

During territorial disputes, hummingbirds perform elaborate aerial displays instead of physical fighting!

Habitat & Survival

Hummingbirds can be found from Alaska all the way down to Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America!

Some hummingbird species live at altitudes over 16,000 feet (5 kilometers) in the Andes Mountains!

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird flies 500 miles (805 km) non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico during migration!

Some hummingbirds travel over 2,000 miles (3,219 km) during their annual migration!

Hummingbirds can survive in temperatures from below freezing up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 °C)!

Hummingbirds choose nesting sites near reliable food sources and often return to the same location year after year!

Many hummingbird species have adapted to live in urban gardens and city parks!

Hummingbirds can survive in diverse habitats from desert regions to tropical rainforests!

Life Cycle

A female hummingbird typically lays just two eggs, each about the size of a pea!

Baby hummingbirds hatch after about 14–19 days of incubation!

Newborn hummingbirds are smaller than a penny and weigh less than a paper clip!

Young hummingbirds learn to fly when they’re about 21 days old!

Baby hummingbirds stay in their nest for about 3 weeks before taking their first flight!

A mother hummingbird feeds her babies by regurgitating nectar and tiny insects directly into their beaks!

Female hummingbirds raise their babies entirely on their own without help from male birds!

Diet & Feeding

A hummingbird drinks nectar from up to 1,000-2,000 flowers per day!

A hummingbird’s long beak is perfectly shaped to reach deep into flowers for nectar!

Hummingbirds eat small insects and spiders for protein, sometimes catching them in mid-air!

A hummingbird can lap up nectar at a rate of 13 licks per second!

Hummingbirds need to eat every 10–15 minutes and visit hundreds of flowers per day!

Hummingbirds can remember which flowers they’ve already visited to avoid wasting energy!

Hummingbirds have a special enzyme that helps them digest nectar very quickly!

A hummingbird’s tongue is so long it rolls up inside its head when not in use!