The smallest birds, about 375 species native to the Americas. Their wings allow helicopter-like flight in any direction, and the hum of their wingbeats gives them their name.
Quick answers
What is it?Bird
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Specialised for nectar from flowers, but every species also eats small insects.
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inNorth America, Central America, South America
HabitatForest, Rainforest, Grassland, Towns
ColoursGreen, Red, Blue
SizeTiny
Length5 cm (bee hummingbird) to 13 cm for most
Legs2
Covered inFeathers
Lives alone
Lives for3–5 years
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- The Americas, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego.
- What it eats
- Nectar from flowers, plus small insects.
Did you know
Can fly in any direction, even backwards, beating its wings up to 99 times a second.
To save energy at night or when food is scarce, it can enter torpor, slowing its metabolism to a fifteenth of normal.
Often confused with
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