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Hummingbirds tiny and colorful: Lifeform of the week

Hummingbirds: Little green bird with long slender beak, wings spread, flying over an orange daisy-like flower.
Hummingbirds are colorful and tiny birds that fly very fast. Image via Dulcey Lima/ Unsplash.

Did you know?

Hummingbirds – native to the Americas – are tiny, colorful and fast. Sometimes called hummers, they create a humming sound with their beating wings, which flap at high frequencies audible to other birds and humans.

Hummingbirds belong to the biological family Trochilidae. If they survive their first year, they can live for three to five years.

They are tiny birds. The smallest, the bee hummingbird, is the smallest bird in the world. It’s about 2 inches (5 cm) in length. And the biggest, the giant hummingbird, is only 10 inches (25 cm) long.

Iridescent blue bird with open wings and long thin beak, in flight.
This is an adult male bee hummingbird in flight. Image via Charles J. Sharp/ Wikipedia/ CC BY-SA 4.0.
Small gray and dark brown bird perched on a large, spiny cactus.
A giant hummingbird on a cactus south of Huancayo, Peru. Image via Devon Pike/ Wikipedia/ CC BY-SA 3.0.

Nests and chicks

Have you ever wondered, if the adults are that small, how big are their nests and eggs? Hummingbird nests measure a little over an inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. They’re tough to spot on thin tree branches, often just above a tree trunk, and often at a fork. Hummingbird nests 101 here. In these tiny, well-hidden and camouflaged nests, hummingbirds lay two to three eggs that are less than an inch across. Wow. It looks like you need a magnifying glass to try to find them.

The hummingbird’s main goal is to make sure their chicks have adequate protection from wind, rain, sun, and predators, so they choose places for their nests that are dense, like shrubs, among plants, or the branches of trees.

These little nests are architectural wonders of nature, created to protect one of the most fragile little birds on the planet. It can take as little as five to eight weeks from the moment the nest is first created until the little birds are mature enough to take to the skies on their own.

When searching for a suitable nest site, the female may repeatedly land on it to test whether it is stable, and if she uses it, it must be able to support her weight, the nest, and her growing chicks. Naturally, since hummingbirds weigh next to nothing, almost any site is suitable.

Tiny nest made out of dried grass and fluff with 2 eggs. It is between 2 twigs, with some leaves.
These tiny birds lay 2 to 3 eggs. They are usually 0.4 to 0.55 inches (11 to 14 millimeters). Image via Mike’s Birds/ Wikipedia/ CC BY-SA 2.0.

More on why they’re amazing

First, the flight of hummingbirds is unique. They’re the only bird that can fly backward. Also, they can suspend themselves in the air while they eat, motionless, except for the beating of their wings.

Tiny, iridescent green bird with blurred, pointy wings and long thin beak in red hanging flower.
Hummingbirds can suspend themselves in the air without moving. That’s how they can remain stable to drink nectar from flowers, no matter where they are. Image via Zdenek Machácek/ Unsplash.

Also, consider hummers’ long and thin beaks. Some species have a beak that equals their body size. Hummingbirds also have a long and peculiar tongue, because it can be extended and has the tip divided. Their divided tongue tip lets them more easily suck nectar from flowers.

Small green and white bird with a long, thin black beak with a long, thin tongue out, perched on a branch.
Hummingbirds have long beaks and tongues that help them reach flowers’ nectar. Image via Skyler Ewing/ Pexels.

Plus, hummingbirds have incredible vision. They can see more colors than humans do.

But it’s not all colors and flowers for hummingbirds. They can’t use their legs to walk, for example. Luckily for them, nature is wise, and they can still use their legs for two things: to perch on branches for rest or sleep, and to scratch. What else can you ask for?

Head and wings of small bird with body hidden by leaves, beak in pink flowers.
Since hummingbirds are small, agile and stable, they can hide among flowers, branches and spines. Image via Lance Reis/ Pexel.

Non-stop movement and food intake

These non-stop birds consume a lot of energy, and all that energy usage takes food consumption. So, hummingbirds eat their own weight in nectar in just one day. If their weight is 0.18 ounces (5 grams), they drink 0.18 fluid ounces (5 milliliters) of nectar. If a human wanted to consume the same amount of nutrients, they would need around 286 pounds (130 kg) of food!

Thus, hummers are the vertebrates that eat the most, considering their weight.

Tiny green and lavender bird with pointy wings in flight next to stalk of deep magenta flowers.
Hummingbirds move a lot, so they need to get that energy back by drinking a lot of nectar. Image by Chirs F/ Pexels.

Hummingbird’s heartbeat

Impressed already? Wait until you hear about this. Hummingbirds’ hearts can beat 1,200 times per minute when they are moving. And when they are sleeping, their heart rate is still very high; their hearts beat 500 to 700 times per minute. So a hummingbird heart is as speedy as The Flash. And their wings are super-fast too! They move 70 to 200 times per second. When they fly forward, they can reach 43 miles per hour (70 kph). They are like tiny F1 drivers.

Front view of iridescent blue bird with scarlet tail feathers and wings outspread in flight.
Hummingbirds can fly backward, and they are very fast! Image via Zdenek Machácek/ Unsplash.

Tough guys

Don’t be fooled by their size or their beautiful colors … Turns out that hummingbirds can be quite territorial. Biologists say they have seen them attacking crows, and even falcons!

But experts point out they only attack in order to protect their homes.

Where to find hummingbirds

Most hummingbirds live in wooded areas where there are many flowers, as well as in grasslands and meadows. There are several species that do quite well in other environments, such as hot and cool areas.

Still, most hummingbirds enjoy living in Central and South America and can be found there year-round, with some moving north each year.

Green-necked brown bird with wings spread, perched on a cactus, with long beak in a pink flower.
Hummingbirds love to be surrounded by flowers, but they can also live in hot and cool areas. They might be small and cute, but they are also tough. Image via Victor Rosales/ Pexels.

Types of hummingbirds

There are around 340 species of hummingbirds in the world. Most of them live in Central and South America. But you can find them as far north as Alaska. Here are some species:

Antillean crested hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus)
Vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima)
White-tipped sicklebill (Eutoxeres aquila)
White-whiskered hermit (Phaethornis yaruqui)
Sparkling violetear (Colibri coruscans)
Black-throated mango (Anthracothorax nigricollis)
Mexican violetear (Colibri thalassinus)
Blue-chinned sapphire (Chlorestes notata)
Purple-throated carib (Eulampis jugularis)

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