The iridescent birds par excellence are undoubtedly hummingbirds, with such vibrant colors and a tiny size, this species is crowned as the smallest bird of all. But don’t be fooled by their size, as they are amazing birds and from which we can learn a lot; These are some curiosities about hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds are tiny birds that are characterized by having iridescent colors that change with the angle of refraction of sunlight. This is why they appear to change their vibrant colors and are extremely beautiful.
Another characteristic that makes them unique is that they are the smallest migratory species of birds, so their flight is very agile, almost like that of insects. In fact, they are the only winged beings capable of flying backwards.
How many species of hummingbirds exist?
Hummingbirds are so special that they are the only birds in the family Trochilidae. To date, more than although it is believed that this figure could increase since there are birds that have not yet been classified because they live in isolated regions where it is very difficult to access. Although there is also the counterpart, where at least two species have disappeared from the list of hummingbirds due to extinction.
The word Trochilidae, which describes the hummingbird family, comes from the Greek word Aristotle used for a small bird that many believe could be the European wren.
These picturesque animals are so small that they can barely They weigh between 2.5 and 6.5 grams. Even the smallest known hummingbird, the Cuban bee hummingbird, weighs between 1.6 and 1.9 grams, it is so tiny that it is dwarfed by some types of insects, since half of its total length of 5.5 centimeters is made up of its beak and It’s tail.
A special diet
These types of birds are one of the few species of pollinating birds that exist, as they are responsible for spreading pollen among nature and thus creates an everlasting life cycle for the reproduction of the birds. Although it must be said that the Floral nectar is not the only thing they feed on, they have a diet rich in sap and insects as well.
Among the insects they can eat are spiders, insect eggs and other species of small insects that provide them with the necessary protein they require to move their wings at such fast speeds.
How fast do their wings move?
Hummingbirds are extremely fast birds, which is why they have the ability to beat their wings so fast that it allows them to move in all directions, including backwards. They are the only winged beings with this ability, that is, among birds and insects, hummingbirds are the only ones that can move backwards while in the air.
For example, giant hummingbirds are usually the slowest of all, but it is still impressive that they can flap their wings 12 times per second. Many other species are faster, averaging between 50 and 80 shakes per second, which is why wings become blurry to the human eye. But in the fastest cases, They can achieve up to 200 wing beats in just one second.
Fast heart rate
The heart of these tiny birds may be extremely small, but that does not prevent them from moving at dizzying speeds, a hummingbird can reach up to 1,200 beats per minute, this is 20 beats per second. Their hearts are too small for humans to hear them, but they beat so fast that if we had the ability to perceive them, we would only hear a humming sound.
These are amazing birds that undoubtedly enchant anyone who has the opportunity to admire them, and behind them there is a