Kingdom : Animalia Class : Aves Family : Trochilidae Scientific Name : Trochilidae Size(H) : 5cm - 20cm (2in - 8in) Wing Span : 9cm - 26cm (4in - 10in) Weight : 2.2g - 20g (0.07oz - 0.7oz) Top Speed : 48km/h (30mph) Life Span : 3 - 5 years Colour : Green, Brown, Tan, Red, White, Grey Skin Type : Feathers Distinctive Features : Long, thin beak and the ability to hover
- Hummingbirds are found throughout the Southern hemisphere.
- There are around 350 species of hummingbird found in the world.
- Incredibly, they can beat their wings up to 80 times a second.
- This enables them to hover in the air.
- They are the only birds which can fly backwards.
- They get their name from the noise that they make while hovering.
- The smallest humming bird species is the bee hummingbird that grows less than 5cm tall and weighs as much as a penny.
- The largest hummingbird is the Giant Hummingbird found in the Andes, growing to be around 20cm tall.
- The feed on nectar with the help of their extendible tongue and their long, pointed beak.
- To make up for their protein requirement, they feed on insects and spiders.
- Their natural predators are snakes, larger birds and lizards.
- Unfortunately, hummingbirds are quite vulnerable and many of them do not survive beyond their first year.
- The female hummingbirds build a cup-shaped nest in the trees and lay 2 colored eggs.
- The eggs are quite large when compared to the small size of the birds and hatch in 3 weeks’ time.
- Interestingly, according to some of the local myths and folklore, it was hummingbirds which brought fire to the world.
- The Islands of Trinidad and Tobago is known as the land of the hummingbird.