You may have seen this photo recently on Facebook. Here's some interesting info about these beautiful tiny birds (from worldofhummingbirds.com)
- Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds in the world.
- Hummingbirds can flash their bright colors, as well as hide them when needed.
- The bright radiant color on hummingbirds comes from iridescent coloring like on a soap bubble.
- A Gorget is the bright flashing colored feathers of the hummingbird's neck.
- A hummingbird's brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird kingdom.
- Hummingbirds are very smart and they can remember every flower they have been to, and how long it will take a flower to refill.
- Hummingbirds can hear better, & see further than humans
- Hummingbirds can see ultraviolet light.
- Hummingbirds have little to no sense of smell.
- A hummingbird will use its tongue to lap up nectar from flowers and feeders.
- A hummingbird's tongue is grooved like the shape of a "W".
- Hummingbirds have tiny hairs on the tip of the tongue to help lap up nectar.
- A hummingbird's beak is shaped like any other bird beak, just longer in proportion to its body.
- The edges of the hummingbird's top beak will overlap the edges of the hummingbird's bottom beak.
- Hummingbirds do not drink through their beaks like a straw. They lap up nectar with their tongues.
- A hummingbird's heart beats up to 1,260 times per minute.
- A hummingbird's heart is 2.5% of the total body weight.
- A hummingbird will take about 250 breaths per minute while at rest.
- A hummingbird's metabolism is roughly 100 times that of an elephant.
- Hummingbirds have very weak feet and can barely walk. They prefer to fly.
- Hummingbirds like to perch.
- A hummingbird baby is generally smaller than a penny.