🗽 North America
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Image: Wikipedia
Meet the Animal
Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds in North America, yet they are incredible fliers who can hover in mid-air, fly backwards, and even fly upside down! Their wings beat so fast - up to 80 times per second - they make a humming sound that gives these amazing little birds their name.
Where in the World
Continent: North America
Countries:
Habitat
Garden, Woodland, Forest edge, Meadow
Diet
Omnivore
Classification
- ↳Kingdom:Animalia
- ↳Class:Aves
- ↳Order:Apodiformes
- ↳Family:Trochilidae
- ↳Common:Bird
Appearance
Iridescent emerald-green back. Males have a brilliant ruby-red throat patch. Long slender bill. Tiny body (3 g) with very fast wingbeats creating a humming sound.
Size: 2–6 g; 7–9 cm long
Young Ones
Called Chick
Mother builds a tiny walnut-sized nest from plant fibres and spider silk. Lays 2 pea-sized eggs. Chicks fledge after about 3 weeks.
Behaviour
The only bird that can fly backwards! Beat wings 50–80 times per second. Must consume half their body weight in sugar daily. Enter a hibernation-like state (torpor) each night to conserve energy.
🎉 Fun Facts
⬅️ Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.
💓 Their heart beats 1,200 times per minute in flight.
🍬 They must eat half their weight in sugar every day.
😴 Hummingbirds enter a mini-hibernation every night called torpor.
🕷️ Their nests are held together with stretchy spider silk.