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Hummingbirds are examples of what it means to be superlative, or unmatched. They are the lightest birds in North America. They have the fastest wings and the fastest heartbeats. They lay the tiniest eggs.
The Americas are home to about 360 different kinds of hummingbirds. These scrappy critters live in forests, mountains, and deserts from southern Alaska to the tip of South America. Only about 15 kinds are seen in the United States. Most male hummingbirds have feathers that seem to glow in the sunlight. It’s no wonder they’re called “jewels of the garden.”
▲ The smallest birds in the world, most hummingbirds are about three to five inches long and weigh less than a nickel. Their bill may be almost as long as their body. And their tongue may be long enough to stick out from their bill. Hummingbirds’ legs are not well suited for walking or hopping. But can they cling to branches? Yes.
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▲ Unlike any other bird, hummingbirds can hover, or hang in the air. They can also move backwards and upside down. How’s that possible? One reason is that they beat their wings between 50 and 80 times per second! Another has to do with the unique way their wings are attached to their body.
A hummingbird’s nest is about the size of a walnut. It’s woven from soft plant material and stretchy spider silk that acts like a kind of glue. Inside the nest are two eggs. The smallest of all bird eggs, each is about the size of a jelly bean and weighs about as much as a paperclip. ▶
▲ Twice a year, many hummingbirds travel thousands of miles. Mostly alone. Some fly across the Gulf of Mexico nonstop. Some fly 4,000 miles from Mexico to Alaska. In flight, their heart beats over a thousand times a minute. And they stop wherever they can to feed – mostly on the sugary nectar of flowers.
The northern giant hummingbird is the largest hummingbird. It has a wingspan of over eight inches and a body about nine inches long.
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What kinds of flowers attract hummingbirds?
To keep up their energy, hummingbirds feed almost constantly. But they’re picky eaters. They favor orange or red flowers shaped like tubes. And flowers with nectar that’s high in sugar. Rufous-breasted hermit hummingbirds are even more picky. They only feed from flowers with petals the same length and curve as their bill.
