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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