10 Incredible Hummingbird Facts

This post was inspired by an email from Don Pratt, who runs a website with some beautiful hummingbird pictures.  It’s really a followup to Birding Depot’s Fun Hummingbird Facts.

Today, a Hummingbird flew up to my window, and hovered in front of me for a few seconds.  It’s always amazing to have such a close encounter with such an amazing bird.  They truly are incredible creatures.  Here are ten reasons why:

1. Hummingbirds only live in North and South America.
2. The Bee Hummingbird of Cuba is the smallest hummingbird.  It weighs less than any U.S. coin, even a dime!  Click here to see how small this bird is.
3. The Giant Hummingbird of South America is the largest hummingbird.  It is a 8 1/2 inches in length - about as large as a Starling!
4. Hummingbirds need to eat constantly.  They can easily starve in as little as two to four hours.  Overnight, hummingbirds don’t require as much energy.  However, they generally have just enough energy to make it to the next meal in the morning.
5. At night, hummingbirds can slow their metabolism and heart rate to save energy.
6. Hummingbirds can fly backwards!
7. It is commonly believed that hummingbirds can’t walk.  In fact, we have the same information on our Fun Hummingbird Facts page.  However, in a recent email with Don Pratt, he writes,”A common misconception. I’ve seen HBs walk on large mandavilla leaves no trouble at all. They simply seldom need to walk.”
8. Hummingbird eggs are tiny - about the size of a pea.
9. Females exclusively care for their eggs.
10. It takes about two and a half weeks for hummingbird eggs to hatch.

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