Hummingbirds are fascinating small birds with fast-moving wings and long beaks. You can see them dart around flowers and nectar feeders.

10 Facts About Hummingbirds

Below are ten interesting facts about hummingbirds.

1. These are the only known birds that can fly backward.
2. Hummingbirds are the smallest migrating birds. They do not migrate in flocks like other bird species. A hummingbird can travel alone for about 500 miles at a time.
3. Hummingbirds drink the nectar in the feeders by moving their tongues in and out about 13 times in a second.
4. These small birds are eaters! These small flyers can eat up to twice their body weight within a day.
5. Did you know that the name hummingbird comes from the humming noise that their wings make as they beat so fast?
6. They usually weigh less than a nickel.
7. Hummingbirds use their tiny legs only for perching and moving sideways while perched since they cannot walk or hop on the tiny legs.
8. Hummingbirds don’t smell. Even though they cannot sniff out feeders, they have remarkable color vision. For instance, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird prefers orange or red flowers. However, red dye used in nectar could harm these birds—plant naturally orange or red flowers. You can also use feeders with red coloring in their structure.
9. A flock of hummingbirds is referred to as a glittering, a bouquet, a shimmer, a tune, or a hover.
10. There are more than 330 species of hummingbirds in North and South America. The common species in the US include Anna’s Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and Black-chinned Hummingbird.