Fun Facts About Hummingbirds

• There are 18 hummingbird species in North America. Hummingbirds are found no where else in the world except the New World (North, Central, and South America.)
• There are over 325 species of Hummingbirds, making them the second largest bird family in the world, second only to flycatchers.
• Hummingbirds weigh 1/10th of an ounce; about the weight of a penny.
• Hummingbirds have such underdeveloped legs that they are unable to walk but can perch.
• Hummingbirds lay the world’s smallest bird egg about the size of a blueberry.
• Hummingbirds use spider webs as glue to attach the nest to a tree branch as well as a binding agent for the building materials.
• The nest is about the size of a golf ball; around 1 ½ inches in diameter.
• Only about 20% of Ruby-throated Hummingbird fledglings survive their first year.
• Hummingbirds eat about every 10 minutes.
• They do not have an innate preference for red. Each hummingbird must learn the association between red flowers and food.
• Hummingbirds can extend their tongue approximately a distance equal to the length of their bill.
• While lapping up nectar, Hummingbirds can move their tongues in and out of their bill at a rate of up to 12 times a second.
• hummers eat insects and insect eggs, spiders and spider eggs. They use their bill and not their tongue to catch insects.
• Hummingbirds can fly up to 60 miles per hour, but typically fly at 30-45 miles per hour.
• They can hover and are the only birds able to fly backwards and upside down. They can do this because of an extremely mobile shoulder joint. Their wings beat 20-80 times per second.
• During the night, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds can enter into a state of torpor to save energy. Similar to a type of short-term hibernation, torpor reduces their metabolic activity and drops their heart rate from 1,200 beats per minute to 50 beats per minute.
• The iridescence in the hummingbird’s feathers has led them to be called the “jewels of the garden.” 

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• Do hummingbirds migrate together? http://bit.ly/H7x9yB]
• Where should I hang my hummingbird feeder? http://bit.ly/H2U4P4
• Hummingbird Information on Habitat and Habits http://bit.ly/H2Ua9s
• What is the nectar recipe for hummingbirds? http://bit.ly/H7xvp3
• Examining The Hummingbird Tongue http://bit.ly/HoaxsI

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