Fun Hummer Facts
- Hummingbirds beat their wings about 78 times per second. During a display dive, their wings can beat up to 200 times per second.
- They take about 250 breaths per minute.
- Their hearts beat about 1,260 times per minute.
- They have 1,500 feathers.
- They consume half their body weight (1/8th lb.) in food every day. That would be like an average kid eating about 40 to 50 pounds of food a day.
- During migration, they must fly 500 miles nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico to reach their wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America. To make the trip, they must eat enough so they weigh 1 1/2 times their usual weight.
- They can fly at speeds of 60 miles per hour and can fly forwards, backwards, up, down, sideways, and even upside down briefly, but they can't walk.
- Average life span is 3-5 years. Maximum life span is 12 years.
*** This information and more are part of the Stokes Hummingbird Book available at Birding Depot!
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