The Ups,Downs andSideways

of the World’s Smallest Bird

Hummingbirdson Parade

• 2 to 8 inches tall

• Weigh 1/10 of an ounce (the same as a nickel)

• Hummingbirds can only be found in the New World

AgainstAll Odds

• Their brains are about the size of a BB

• Their legs are so weak, they can’t walk

• They are eaten by

Bull Frogs, Praying Mantis and spiders

AgainstAll Odds

• More than 330 total species, but only 16 live in North America

• Can live in almost any habitat

• Able to fly forward, backward, sideways, upside down and can hover, too

Beatingthe Odds

• Can go from perched to full speed instantly – the dragsters of the bird world

• Aerobatic flying skills enabled by unique flexible wing joints

Beatingthe Odds

• Eat once every 10 minutes

• Eat twice their body weight in nectar & insects every day

• Lap up nectar at a rate of 12 times a second

Feeding &Foraging

• Bills can be easily damaged, are sensitive to touch & rich in blood supply

• Can open widely

• Inside tips of both mandibles are toothed and serrated

BillBasics

• Pairs do not bond – females raise young alone

• Return to the same nesting area each year

• Take about 45 days to fledge each brood of young

Nesting

• Usually have 2 broods

• Young leave nest 18 – 23 days after hatching

• Only 20% of fledgling hummingbirds survive their first year

Nesting

• Nest is made of plant down glued together with spider web and tree sap

• Usually located on pencil-sized limbs

• Camouflaged with bits of lichen

Nesting

• Banding studies show many hummingbirds pass through the same yards, on the same day, each year

• During migration, the hummingbirds seen at feeders one day are usually replaced by new birds the next day

Migration

• Hummingbirds leaf-bathe by fluttering against wet leaves

• They also “play” and bathe in sprinklers and misters

• Female hummingbirds have longer tongues than the males

OtherFun Facts

• Be sure to check out our wide selection of Hummingbird Feeders and accessories.

• Ask a WBU Certified Birdfeeding Specialist about attracting these amazing birds to your yard.

Hummingbirds at WBU

Operation Ruby Throat• www.rubythroat.org

Wild Birds Unlimited• www.wbu.com

Cornell Lab• www.birds.cornell.edu

Hummingbirds.net• www.humminbirds.net

WebResources