The hummingbird is a tiny and beautiful American bird that flies and hovers backward. They have colorful sparkling plumage and very slender bill or beak that is perfectly designed to sip the nectar deep inside flowers.
Also they are popular among North American wildlife gardeners. In the USA there are eight types of species available. They are small in size mostly comes in 7.5 to 13 cm or 3 to 5 inch in length. Hummingbird name comes from hummings noise their wings make when they beat so fast.
But How Much Do These Beautiful Birds Weigh?
Depending on species a hummingbird can weigh 0.035 to 0.70 ounces or 1 to 2 grams. The average weight of a ruby-throated hummingbird is around 3 grams and the Bee hummingbird of Cuba weighs around 1.5 grams which are the smallest birds in the world.
Even the Giant Hummingbird that is heaviest among all hummingbirds does not even weigh one ounce!
Common Weights Of Different Types Hummingbirds
-Ruby-Throated Hummingbird – 2-6 grams or 0.07-0.212 ounces
-Costa’s Hummingbird – 2-4 grams or 0.07-0.14 ounces
-Anna’s Hummingbird – 3-6 grams or 0.10-0.21 ounces
-Black-Chinned Hummingbird – 3-3.5 grams or 0.10-0.12 ounces
-Broad-Tailed Hummingbird – 3-4 grams or 0.10-0.14 ounces
-Calliope Hummingbird – 2-3 grams or 0.07-0.10 ounces
-Rufous Hummingbird – 2-4 grams 0.07-0.14 ounces
-Broad-Billed Hummingbird – 3-4 grams or 0.10-0.14 ounces
-Allen’s Hummingbird – 2-4 grams or 0.07-0.14 ounces
What Does A Hummingbird Eat & How Much Does A Hummingbird Eat In A Day?
Hummingbird loves to eat which helps them to keep their strength. But what kind of food do they love to eat? Nectar it is! They have a long beak that looks like a needle which is perfect for reaching into flowers for nectar.
Along with nectar from various flowers hummingbirds also love to eat small insects like aphids, beetles, and mosquitos, spiders. They use spiders webs to build their nest building!
So, if you love hummingbirds then you should keep a hummingbird feeder filled with nectar in front of your porch. Hummingbirds are a joy to watch and once they find nectar on your porch they will keep coming regularly.
Read: How Much Do Buffalo Weigh
Do Hummingbirds Eat Fruit?
Hummingbirds love to eat different types of fruit which helps their digestion. There are also other things that hummingbirds love to eat to keep their balanced diet. They love anything that tastes sweet. They love to eat fruit like watermelon, blood orange, bananas, etc.
How Much Water Does A Hummingbird Drink In A Day?
In a day hummingbirds drink 46 ounces of nectar. Research showed that a 3 gram weigh hummingbird can drink 43 grams of sugar water in one day which is 14 times its body weight!
How Much Does A Hummingbird Egg Weigh?
Weight of a hummingbird egg can be around 0.4 grams to 1.4 grams. A newly born bird weighs around 0.62 grams and is 1 inch in length.
How Fast Does A Hummingbird Fly?
Hummingbirds may be small in size but they can fly fast. Each second their wings flap around 50 to 200 times which is faster than any other bird species. A hummingbird can fly 30 mph in a straight way and 60 mph when they chase intruders.
How Long Do Hummingbirds Live Without Food?
Hummingbirds can live in 3 to 5 hours without food.
How Long Do Hummingbirds Live?
According to experts on average a ruby-throated hummingbird can live 3 to 5 years. The record age of a ruby-throated hummingbird is 6 years 11 months.
Do Hummingbirds Migrate?
Yes most of them do migrate. Ruby-Throated hummingbirds migrate from southern Mexico to northern Panama in every winter. Although they stay in North American in all summer months. They can fly 500 miles at a time.
Do Hummingbirds Sleep?
Hummingbirds love sleeping which is knowns as “Torpor”. They love to sleep from dusk to dawn. Their sleeping time can be anything near 8 to 16 hours. When they sleep their heartbeat slows down and body temperature decrease. They will sleep when they feel safe and secure from predators.
Read Also: How Much Does Chihuahua’s Weigh
Do Hummingbirds Stay In The Same Area?
Yes! Observers found that hummingbirds return to the same area they live or sleep although it depends on other things. Although they may not come all the time to visit the people they know. But they of course do return to the same bird feeders, gardens or yards.
What Time Of Day Are Hummingbirds Most Active?
Early in the morning and dawn and dust is hummingbirds’ favorite time.
How Big Is A Hummingbird’s Brain?
A hummingbird’s brain size is like the size of a grain of rice which is 0.7 ounces or 20 grams. A hummingbird brain can weigh 4.2 percent of its weight.
Common Hummingbirds Type:
In North and South America there are around 330 hummingbirds species. Common species that are available in the US are:
-Ruby-throated hummingbirds: They are green and red-colored birds mainly found in the eastern half of the U.S.. They are attracted to hummingbird feeders or tubular flowers.
-Rufous Hummingbird: This type of bird is found in the western half of the USA. Their orange colors can easily be spotted in flowers and feeders. They always love to move.
-Anna’s Hummingbird: They are found on the western coast of the US. They are famous for their thrilling mating displays. They love to eat sugar sap and are easy to attract backyards with nectar.
-Calliope Hummingbird: Calliope hummingbirds have unique bright magenta features. They are the smallest bird in the US. Male Calliope Hummingbirds are known for their impressive U-shape dives which attract females. Mainly found in the western half of the USA.
-Broad-tailed Hummingbird: Mainly found in mountain meadow areas and open woodlands. To survive on cold nights they enter the state of torpor where they slow down their heart rate. They are known for rose-magenta throats.
-Black-chinned Hummingbird: Mainly comes in green, black and purple colors black-chinned hummingbirds are travel across the west coast from the US to Mexico. When they fly they create sounds similar to a bee. They also create different types of high-pitched ticks and chips.
Fun Facts:
>>Alone hummingbird can fly up to 500 miles at a time.
>>Hummingbirds are the only birds in the world that can fly backward, up down sideways, front and back which is like a helicopter.
>> Hummingbirds have color vision but they don’t have a sense of smell.
>>Hummingbirds can not walk or hop. Because their feet are weak and only used for perching.
