Hummingbird Facts |
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- Some varieties of hummingbirds can beat their wings up to 70 times per second, in a figure 8 motion.
- They can fly up, down, forwards, sideways and are the only kind of bird that can fly backwards.
- Hummingbirds usually travel at speeds of about 40 km or 25 mph.
- In flight, hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of all animals. The heartbeat of a Blue Throated hummingbird was measured at 1,260 beats per minute.
- The normal lifespan of a common hummingbird is about 4 years. The oldest known age for a hummingbird is over 12 years.
- There are about 325 species of hummingbirds found in the Americas, of these, only 5 species breed in Canada.
- The Bee Hummingbird, about 2 1/4" or 5.7cm is the smallest bird in the world.
- The Giant Hummingbird is the largest member of the hummingbird family, about 8 1/2" or 21.5cm.
- Hummingbirds get most of their energy from sweet nectar gathered from flowers, but prey on insects and spiders for protein and other essential dietary needs.
- Hummingbirds consume up to five times their body weight in nectar each day.
- A full day of feeding just gives them enough energy to survive overnight.
- Hummingbirds can slow down their metabolism overnight, or whenever food is not easily attainable. This hibernation-like state is called torpor, during which the hummingbird's breathing and heart rate slow down significantly, reducing energy consumption and the need for food.
- Depending on the species, Hummingbird nests can be smaller than half a walnut shell.
- Hummingbirds generally lay two eggs. They are the smallest of all bird eggs, but are quite large relative to the size of the hummingbird.
- Hummingbirds are very territorial and will often fight over a food source.
- Hummingbirds can see ultraviolet light. Many flowers have remarkable patterns only visible in ultraviolet that attract bees and hummingbirds to their blossoms.
- Also like bees, hummingbirds play an important role in pollinating various plant species.
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