THE MIGHTIEST MIDGETS – HUMMINGBIRDS

Claudia West, Birds & Butterflies Committee Chair, gave an informative talk at our February meeting, The Mightiest Midgets – Hummingbirds. A few hummingbird facts are listed below.

• The name hummingbird comes from the humming noise their wings make. Their wings can beat up to 200 times a second.
• There are over 330 species of hummingbirds in North and South America.
• Hummingbirds can be as small as two inches and weigh slightly less than a nickel.
• Their tiny legs are only used for perching – they can't walk or hop.
• While resting, the average hummingbird takes 150 breaths per minute.
• They are the only birds that can fly backward. Their wings move in a figure-eight pattern, which allows them to maneuver with ease. 
• They can fly as fast as 30 mph and up to 60 mph when they are diving.
• Their heart rate is over 1,200 beats per minute – ours is only 60 to 100.
• Hummingbirds are the smallest migrating birds. They are solitary migrants and typically travel up to 500 miles at a time.
• Although hummingbirds are small, they are very territorial and will try to protect their food source – both flowers and feeders. They spend a lot of time chasing other birds away.
• Hummingbirds have long tongues that function as a tiny pump to suck the sought-after sweet liquid from feeders and flowers. They can consume up to double their body weight in a day.
• When flowers are hard to find, hummingbirds eat tree sap and small insects.
• It takes five to seven days for a hummingbird to build its nest, made of lichen, moss, and spiderwebs. Their nests are about the size of a half-dollar coin.
• Female hummingbirds only lay two eggs in their nests – the eggs are about the size of a garden pea. 

For additional information on hummingbirds that are commonly seen in our backyards, click the button below.

ALL ABOUT BIRDS – THE UNITED STATES OF HUMMINGBIRDS