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 Hummingbird Facts:
27 Unusual Wonders, Explained

Here are 27 amazing hummingbird facts that will show how these little birds are one of most unique creatures alive and will capture your mind and heart!

Anatomy & Size

1. The average hummingbird weighs only about 3 grams (less than a nickel by comparison)

2. Hummingbirds have the largest heart of any bird for its size. Its heart rate is often more that 1,200 beats per minute.

3. Hummingbirds do not produce musical sounds. Hummingbird sounds are often chattering sounds. Scientists often describe these sounds as call notes. We now know that some hummingbird sounds originate from their tail feathers.

Color & Plumage

4. Hummingbirds have the least amount of feathers of any bird. They have only 1000 to 1500 feathers.

5. Unlike many birds the plumage of hummingbirds does not change during breeding season but remains the same year-round.

6. Hummingbirds spend an unusual amount of time cleaning (preening) their feathers. The condition of the hummingbird’s feathers is a life and death issue. They need to remain extremely light in order to achieve the flight dynamics that keep them alive.

7. Hummingbirds molt (lose old feathers and grow new ones) yearly. Once in a while I find a tiny hummingbird feather. You can keep a look out too. They are tiny and hard to see.

8. The male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird was named because of the iridescent feathers on its neck which reflect sunlight at different angles. In spite of the jewel like colors of hummingbirds, their visual beauty is an optical illusion. The feather pigments are black, brown and reddish brown. A hummingbird’s feather can reflect light resulting in remarkable color.

Male Ruby-throated HummingbirdMale Ruby-throated Hummingbird

9. White hummingbirds (Albino hummingbirds) and semi-white (Leucistic hummingbirds) do exist lacking all or nearly all pigment in their feathers

An Albino HummingbirdAlbino Hummingbird
Male Rufous HummingbirdMale Rufous Hummingbird

Species

10. The hummingbird family, Trochilidae, is in the order of Apodiformes. Note: Scientists classify birds based on their anatomy and biochemistry.

11. There are 366 species of hummingbirds making them the second most diverse bird family on earth.

12. The hummingbird species has the renowned honor of including the Bee Hummingbird of Cuba which is the smallest bird in the world.


Bee HummingbirdThe Bee Hummingbird
Smallest Bird in the World

Flight & Speed

13. A hummingbird can beat its wings 70 to 80 beats per second.

14. Hummingbird flight is special because their wing anatomy allows them to be the only bird that can fly backwards, upside down and hover indefinitely in place.

Hovering Hummingbird in FlightHovering Hummingbird in Flight

Migration

15. Hummingabird migration is initiated by the amount of daylight when the days get shorter. 

Hummingbirds breed in United States and Canada during the summer and migrate south in the Fall to spend the winter in Mexico and Central America.

That is not to say that all hummingbirds migrate. Some species will stay in the U.S. all winter.

Scientists are beginning to notice the overwintering Rufous in some parts of North America.  

The Rufous hummingbird has the longest migration, flying as much as 3,000 miles from Alaska to Mexico.

The Ruby-Throated hummingbird also has a long migration route which includes the incredible task of flying 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico!

Don’t worry, hummingbirds usually return to the same feeder every year.

16. In the early Spring, before the females arrive, the males will arrive 1 top 2 weeks earlier. Male hummingbirds will fight over a territory and feeders to make their claim. This is a sparring match which can last for hours until one has little energy left and surrenders. (I had the fortune of capturing this ritual of two hummingbirds fighting at one of our feeders on video.)

17. Male Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the first to arrive in the Spring migration and the first to leave in the Fall migration. The females usually migrate (arrive & leave)  2 to 3 weeks later in the Spring and Fall migrations.

Nesting & Babies

18. Hummingbird eggs are the smallest in the world. The baby hummingbird  usually hatches within a few weeks depending on species and weather.

19.  Hummingbird mating involves incredible diving rituals. A male will mate with more than one female. The female chooses whether to accept the males. She usually bases this decision on whether or not the male has acquired a suitable territory for the sustenance of her offspring.

20. Hummingbird nests are built by the female alone. They are a wonderful piece of architecture that is not only tiny but also flexible. They expand to accommodate the eggs and then later reduce in size once the fledglings have left. Would you like to learn how to find a hummingbird nest to witness the amazing birth and the first days of a hummingbird's life?

Hummingbird EggsHummingbird Eggs
Hummingbird Babies/ChicksHummingbird Babies/Chicks

Diet

21. Hummingbirds live on the edge of survival and can starve to death in 3 to 5 hours.

22. Hummingbirds digest their food in 20 minutes with great efficiency. They extract more than 90% of the sucrose and eliminate the water. If you have ever watched a hummingbird perch, you now know that they are not resting but busy digesting food.

23. Hummingbirds eat bugs for protein which is their main food source for survival. Nectar from flowers and our feeders supplies the energy to satisfy their metabolism.

Insects-Hummingbird Protein SourceInsects-Hummingbird Protein Source

24. Hummingbirds have an ability to pollinate flowers which co-evolved with them. Over thousands of years hummingbirds fed regularly on the nectar of plants for the energy they needed to survive. Plants have evolved with hummingbirds, producing flowers with long tubular shapes to fit the bills of the marvelous birds.

Hummingbird Pollinating FlowersHummingbird Pollinating Flowers

Sleep

25. Hummingbirds conserve their energy during the night and cold temperatures with a hibernation like state called Torpor or Hummingbird Sleep.

Sleeping Hummingbird in TorporSleeping Hummingbird in Torpor

Predators

26. Believe it or not, there are hummingbird predators such as the praying mantis, the dragonfly, the robber fly, certain spiders, some frogs, and larger predatory birds.

Conservation

27. Much information has been gathered and documented through a process of Hummingbird Banding by licensed banders.

Visit our New Hummingbirds for Kids Page

Fun facts for kids, coloring pages, activities and a great gallery of hummingbird species photos!

These hummingbird facts have historically intrigued humans for centuries past and continue to intrigue to the present day.

As we continue to learn about the hummingbirds through ornithological studies, banding, and greater correspondence among enthusiasts, our knowledge and marvel about these birds should increase.


RANGE of HUMMINGBIRDS

Hummingbirds are considered to be a bird of the Americas. They range from southern Alaska to the Caribbean. Most species live in tropical Central and South America.

Only the migratory Ruby-throated Hummingbird breeds east of the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes. Among the number of species that breed in the West is the Black–chinned Hummingbird. The Rufous Hummingbird is the most widespread in Western Canada.

Learn more about Hummingbird Species

Hummingbird in Hand

OBSERVATION

There is a history between humans and hummingbirds. Their beauty, fearlessness, and other unique qualities have led to a great fascination about these birds.

Many people observe hummingbirds directly in their backyards. Some enthusiasts set up nature cams which will bring live video of hummingbird activities right into their living rooms. Others participate in research while many will travel on bird watching tours.

We hope that these hummingbird facts that we all have learned, can enable us to co-exist without harm for many more centuries to come.