Today, we’re going from one of the largest species to one of the smallest. Don’t be fooled by their size. These charming birds are quite powerful and can do things no other bird can do.
Male Bee Hummingbirds have brightly colored feathers. He is nearly life-size in this picture. Photo copyright Allan Hopkins, taken in Matanzas, Cuba.
How small is small? The smallest, the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), is only 5 cm (2 in) long—about the size of your pinky finger—and weighs less than a penny. In fact the Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird on record. It lives primarily in Cuba.
There are about 325 species of hummingbirds, located throughout North and South America. North America is home to only ten of those species, and only one, the aptly named Ruby-throated Hummingbird, lives east of the Mississippi.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) typically winter in Central America and will cross the Gulf of Mexico, a 600-mile journey, in a single flight.
I just have to pause here for a moment. A bird the size of a ping-pong ball, that cannot glide on air currents, flies across a huge body of water without one pit stop. I can’t even do that on a road trip.
This male Violet Sabrewing’s (Campylopterus hemileucurus) lives in southern Mexico and Central America. His bill is perfectly suited to the type of flower he seeks. Photo copyright Bastian.
Eyes have it. Hummingbirds (the males anyway) are exquisitely iridescent. Their feathers have a reflective quality like dozens of tiny prisms. As beautiful as we humans think they are, it must not compare to how they see each other. Hummingbirds can see in the ultraviolet spectrum, where the iridescent colors really glow.
This looks like a male Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) to me. Without direct sunlight, they often look gray/green, but when the light hits those iridescent feathers, they are stunning! Photo copyright Ken Bondy.
It’s all in the hum. Hummingbirds can’t walk or hop like sparrows. They can’t glide on air currents like hawks. Instead they hover, which gives them the ability to reach flowers others can’t. With their powerful wings, they position themselves in mid-air over a flower or feeder. In order to do this, they have to continually beat their wings—anywhere between 50 to 200 times per second!
Most birds gain lift on the down stroke of the wing. Hummingbirds are able to gain lift on both strokes by twisting their wing bones to pivot instead of flap. Super slo-mo video shows that their wing patterns make little figure eights. That neat feature enables them to do something even more amazing. They can fly backward and sideways.
For this physically demanding job, their hearts beat up to 1,200 times per minute.
This guy is called is a Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera). I’ll leave you to figure out why. Photo copyright Michael Woodruff
Where do they get all that power? Nectar and some insects. According to the Citizen Science Blog at the Cornell Ornithology Lab, hummingbirds have to syphon twice their body weight in nectar every day. The sugar from the nectar goes directly from their blood into their muscles. It doesn’t need to be converted and it isn’t stored, as it is for most other vertebrates.
They seem to remember where every flower is in their territory and how long it will take to refill with nectar. If hummingbirds visit your yard, you are probably already aware of how aggressively they defend their turf, leading to spectacular chases and occasional beak jabs.
Other posts in Nature Calls: Bears
For more information on hummingbirds, visit Cornell’s Ornithology Lab and the Audubon Society.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Gorgeous birds.
If we humans could see in the infrared, they would be even more spectacular. 🙂
Hi Jackie. I’m stunned. 600 miles trips! 1,200 beats per minute! What interesting plumage and gorgeous colors. They are like miniature stained glass windows. Great post!
Yes! Stained glass windows. That’s the perfect description.
Their hearts beat so fast, even at rest, that they need a constant energy supply of nectar. They have to go into a kind of catatonic state when they sleep so their body will conserve fuel.
Amazing little birds!
Amazing. I’m thinking nectar is the new superfood. 🙂
And it would be more appetizing than the chia seeds that are the rage here. 🙂
Hummingbirds are one of my favorites! They’re so so beautiful and such amazing animals.
Do you get many hummingbirds in your neck of the woods, Julia?
Lovely. My husband is a fan of hummingbirds and when I run across them, I sense their ethereal quality. These pics were exquisite. Thanks, Jackie.
I bet you have quite a variety of hummingbird species in your area, Rudri. It would be lovely to see so many flitting about.
Have a lovely weekend.
Lovely photos and interesting facts, Jackie. Hummingbirds are one of my favorite birds. We get them here in AZ, and often see pairs of them for months at a time, resting on top twigs of the ficus, or drinking from desert flowers around the yard. It’s always a pleasure.
Have a great weekend!
As I was looking at different hummingbird species, I marveled at how each one has adapted to its environment. Their bills have evolved to specific types of flowers.
You probably have a wide variety to observe in AZ!
As you know, I am a bird-lover. I recall the first time I saw (noticed?) a hummingbird about 45 years ago. It was flapping its wings with gusto and dipping its beak in and out of our next door neighbor’s flowers. At first, I wondered if it was a giant bee but my mom identified it as a hummingbird. I thought it was a very cool bird. I still think that. And they’re hardy little critters. I just Googled how long they live: 5 years. Wikipedia claims that one whose leg had been banded at age 1 was found again, 11 years later, making it 12! Hm, I wonder if AARP hounded it as much as they hound me?
That’s the Methuselah of hummingbirds!
Wait until you see the bird I’ve got for the next installment. 😉
Beautiful images, Jackie.
Re: Nature: Have you seen BBC’s THE FROZEN PLANET? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mfl7n
Some incredible tiny sea creatures, penguins, polar bears, sea lions, whales … I’ve been streaming on Amazon Prime. Lorraine
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve added it to my Netflix queue.
I’ve been watching “Nature’s Great Events,” narrated by David Attenborough. He’s a terrific host. If you have access to that series (1 season), I think you’d enjoy it.
Wow, pretty amazing facts there, Jackie. We have hummingbirds in our backyard all the time. They love the Birds of Paradise, which sounds kind of funny when you think about it.
Ha!
I bet you don’t even need a feeder, You have so many lovely flowers that the hummingbirds are naturally attracted to come around.
‘Tis true. 🙂
So interesting! I feel like I’m similar about coffee as hummingbirds are to nectar!
Ha! Me too.
I love hummingbirds. We have a couple that show up every year. We make sure we have plenty of fresh flowering plants for them and they love our lilac trees. There is something so peaceful and wondrous watching them. Almost spiritual. I really enjoyed your post.
I would love to have hummingbirds flitting around my yard. It must be wonderful to observe them so close. I imagine they are mesmerizing in the best way. Spiritual is a great word.
Quite incredible, aren’t they, Jackie? 🙂 Thanks for turning the spotlight on them.
So much power packed into such a small body. So impressive. 🙂