Humans have been hypnotized by
hummingbirds ever since we arrived in the New World. The tiny creatures
have a cult following, with many people placing feeders with bright red
nectar in their yards to catch a glimpse of them whizzing by. Here are
15 fun facts about the fascinating birds.
1. They lay the smallest of all bird eggs.
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Hummingbirds are birds, after all, and they do lay eggs—the smallest in the world, in fact. According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, hummingbird eggs are about the size of peas.
2. They eat all day long.
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There’s a reason hummingbirds are always on the move: They’re constantly making food trips. According to Audubon, hummingbirds must eat once every 10 to 15 minutes. That means they have to make their way to thousands of flowers—between 1,000 and 2,000 per day.
3. They fly faster than a car.
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Flying between 30 to 45 mph, hummingbirds are lightning fast. And they don’t slow down: Migratory ruby-throated hummingbirds have no problem flying 18 to 20 straight hours to cross the Gulf of Mexico, powered by their fat stores and a little help from the wind.
4. They're fueled by sugar.
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Hummingbirds use flower nectar for food, which often contains more sugar than soda. Sugar content in nectar averages about 26 percent, or double the amount of sugar in soda. They’re also particular about the texture of nectar. Since they have long, tube-like tongues, they prefer nectar that isn’t too concentrated or sticky. However, they also need protein, and they get it from small bugs.
5. They eat a lot.
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To avoid starvation, the average hummingbird eats half its weight in nectar and insects each day. If the average man had the metabolism of a hummingbird, he would have to eat 285 pounds (129 kg) of meat every day to maintain his weight.
6. A big group is called a charm.
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Hummingbirds migrate, and when they do, they’re often in groups. While most birds flying in a group are referred to as a flock, if you see more than one hummingbird, they’re traveling in a “charm.”
7. They're competitive with each other.
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Rather than tag-teaming to find the best nectar out there, hummingbirds basically have the attitude of each bird for himself. When more than one hummingbird is around, get ready to see a scene of repeated high-speed chases. They’re territorial over their flowers, so they’ve been deemed unsociable.
8. You see them most often in the summer.
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Since hummingbirds fly south in colder climates, summer is the season to catch a glimpse of them. There are four species in particular that you’ll see: Ruby-throated hummingbirds, Anna’s hummingbirds, Black-chinned hummingbirds, and rufous Hummingbirds. And they travel crazy lengths to migrate. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are capable of flying more than 1,200 miles without a break.
9. They're only found in the Americas.
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They’re found as far north as Canada, and as far south as 16,000 feet in the Andes of South America. And while there are 340 species of hummingbirds, only 17 nest in the United States.
10. They practice torpor, a hibernation-like state.
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Hummingbirds are essentially tropical birds, so when the temperatures drop (since their feathers are poor insulators) or they lack food, they enter a state called torpor. It’s a deep sleep-like state that helps them preserve their metabolic function. It’s not long-term like hibernation, as it usually just lasts a night at a time. Hummingbirds have a body temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit, so when they can’t maintain that, they enter torpor.
11. Their wings are constantly working.
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Hummingbirds got their name for the hum their wings create to keep them flying. And they’re pumping like crazy. A ruby-throated hummingbird’s wings beat about 70 times per second in direct flight, and more than 200 times per second while diving. North American hummingbirds average around 53 beats per second in normal flight.
12. They live for 3 to 5 years.
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They don’t have a huge lifespan, but the record holder for the oldest hummingbird to ever live is 12 years. It was a female broad-tailed hummingbird in Colorado that was tagged in 1976, and recaptured in 1987, which would have made her at least 12.
13. The bee hummingbird is the world's smallest bird.
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How tiny? The bee only measures 2.25 inches long, and weighs the same amount as a dime. The bird’s wings beat 80 times a second.
14. They can fly in any direction.
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Like Peter Pan, hummingbirds can fly forward, backward, and even upside down. They’re able to stroke with power both on the down- and up-beat of a wing flap, and they’re the only vertebrates capable of sustained hovering.
15. Their hearts beat like crazy.
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Hummingbirds have powerful hearts. Their hearts can beat as fast as 1,260 beats per minute. When in torpor, they can get as slow as 50 to 180 beats per minute. Plus, a resting hummingbird takes about 250 breaths per minute.
