Hummingbirds are so small and fast and beautiful that they are considered to be a little bit magical and mysterious. These birds are so cool and unique that maybe they are somewhat magical! You are going to be very surprised about these incredible facts about hummingbirds.
1.) Hummingbirds eat the sugary nectar in flowers. They can also eat tree sap, juice from fruits and very small insects.
2.) Many people think that Hummingbirds suck up nectar in their long bills, but they actually have a “W” shaped tongue covered in small hairs that can lap up nectar 10 – 15 times per second.
3.) Unlike other birds they can fly in all different directions; even backwards!
4.) Hummingbirds are born smaller than a penny and in adulthood they weigh less than a nickel.
5.) Hummingbirds do not have a sense of smell, but they do have very good eyesight and hearing.
6.) While we only see 8 species of hummingbirds in the U.S., there are 325 species in the world.
7.) We know that hummingbirds are very fast but did you know that they can fly up to 30 miles per hour? When they dive they are even faster going over 50 miles per hour.
8.) Hummingbirds are migratory. This means that like geese, they fly far distances at different times of the year.
9.) While hummingbirds look beautiful, colorful and magical, they are actually very aggressive and will attack much bigger birds that invade their territory. They even go after very large and aggressive birds like hawks and crows.
10.) Scientists believe that hummingbirds have a photographic memory remembering every flower they have been to. They are even believed to remember how long each flower will take to fill up with nectar so that they can come back again and again without wasting their time on empty flowers.
