Meet the Hummingbird: The Bird That Can Fly Backward

Meet the hummingbird, the bird that can fly backward. Hummingbirds can only be found in the New World. They are some of the smallest birds in the world, and they have the most impressive aerial skills. In this article, we’ll explore the hummingbird’s taxonomy, distribution, physical characteristics, social and reproductive behavior, diet and feeding, flight capabilities, and ecological and cultural importance.

Taxonomy 

Modern hummingbirds emerged somewhere between 30 to 40 million years ago. Today, all hummingbirds belong to the family Trochilidae. Together with their closest relatives, the swifts and tree swifts, they make up the order Apodiformes. In total, there are over 360 unique hummingbird species. Given such diversity, only the families of tyrant flycatchers and tanagers have more individual species than hummingbirds.

Scientists divide these hummingbirds into nine different clades, or groups, based on similar ancestry and characteristics. The clades include the emeralds, bees, mountain gems, coquettes, brilliants, hermits, mangoes, topazes, and the giant hummingbird. Each of these groups of hummingbirds has evolved unique physiological traits that allow them to feed on nectar from different types of flowers. So, hummingbirds develop more individualized traits in areas with greater flower diversity. In other words, the greater the number of flowers in a region, the more varied the differences between hummingbird species. 

Distribution 

Hummingbirds are native to the Americas, with the vast majority coming from South America. They range from Alaska in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south, and are also found in the Caribbean. The greatest diversity of hummingbird species is found in Ecuador and Colombia, with many species also found throughout parts of Central and South America. There are around 17 species that nest in the southwestern U.S. While most regions have one or two breeding species, the only hummingbird that nests east of the Mississippi River is the ruby-throated hummingbird.

The majority of hummingbird species live in tropical and subtropical environments, but a few species have adapted to temperate forests. However, during winter, most hummingbirds migrate south from more temperate climates to warmer habitats. For example, the rufous hummingbird migrates around 8,000 miles round-trip, which is incredible given its size.

Physical Characteristics

Hummingbirds come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. For example, the bee hummingbird, the world’s smallest bird, measures only around 2 inches long. Meanwhile, the giant hummingbird, the largest hummingbird species, measures around 9 inches long. Generally, females are larger than males in smaller species, while males are larger than females in bigger species. All hummingbirds have long, curved bills specially designed to help them feed on flower nectar. Their bills can vary greatly in size and curvature, with adaptations depending on the types of flowers available in their local environment.

In addition, hummingbirds come in a range of colors, with males usually featuring brighter, more colorful plumage than females. Their feathers can appear to be different colors depending on the lighting, shifting from green to blue, purple, or red. Typically, males develop bright plumage as a part of courtship rituals.

Social and Reproduction Behavior

Hummingbirds use their wings to create buzzing sounds to communicate with one another. Several basic messages include warning sounds when predators are near, threats against potential rivals, and mating intentions. Unlike some other bird species, hummingbirds are not very social, and they do not mate for life. Some species enact elaborate courtship displays, including diving through the air and ruffling their feathers to attract females. However, many males simply wait for females to enter their territory before attempting to mate.

Male hummingbirds do not contribute to the raising of their young at all. Female hummingbirds bear the sole responsibility for building a nest and incubating the eggs. Most hummingbirds build a cup-shaped nest, typically made from lichen, moss, and other soft materials. Hummingbirds lay the smallest eggs of any bird species, with some eggs measuring less than an inch in length.

Diet and Feeding Behavior

All hummingbirds are nectarivores, meaning that they primarily subsist on nectar from flowers. Using their long bills, they dip their beaks into flowers and then use their long, forked tongues to lap up any nectar. A hummingbird’s bill can bend up to 25 degrees, which helps it reach nectar in hard-to-reach areas. Nectar provides hummingbirds with the energy they need to fuel their fast metabolism. While in flight, they have the highest metabolism of any animal, and their hearts can beat up to 1,200 times per minute.

Given their metabolism, hummingbirds must eat efficiently. So, they spend most of their time perching and resting. In addition to nectar, hummingbirds also eat a wide variety of insects. Common prey includes mosquitoes, gnats, and fruit flies, as well as spiders. To catch their prey, hummingbirds hover in insect swarms, increasing their chances of capturing multiple insects at once.

Flight Capabilities

The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backward. Similar to humans, hummingbirds have a type of rotator cuff that allows them to rotate their wings 180 degrees. They can fly forward, backward, up, down, and in figure-eight patterns. They can even fly upside down.

Hummingbirds’ wings beat at different speeds depending on the species. Wing speeds range from 720 to 5400 beats per minute during hovering. Some species can fly at speeds of over 33mph during regular flight, and up to 45mph in courtship dives. With their wings moving so quickly, the flapping creates a distinctive humming sound, which is how the hummingbird gets its name. 

Ecological and Cultural Importance

Hummingbirds serve a number of important ecological functions. Given their feeding requirements, they can visit hundreds of flowers in the space of a day. Their nectar requirements mean hummingbirds operate as one of nature’s most prolific pollinators. They pollinate not only flowers, but also trees and other flowering plants in their environment.

Additionally, hummingbirds have played an important cultural role both historically and in modern times. Aztec people revered hummingbirds, and the Aztec god of war, Huitzilopochtli, was often depicted as a hummingbird. Many other native peoples also told creation myths and tales about the hummingbird. Today, the doctor bird, or the red-billed streamertail, is the national bird of Jamaica.