Photo by David Shipper
While Florida is host to many year-round resident birds, we also enjoy welcoming our “true” snowbirds!
Southwest Florida is a popular winter destination for migratory Ruby–throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris).
Did you know these fun facts about hummingbirds?
1. They are the smallest migrating bird. They don’t migrate in flocks like other species, and they typically travel alone for up to 500 miles at a time.
2. The name, hummingbird, comes from the humming noise their wings make as they beat so fast — up to 200 times per second!
3. Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.
4. Hummingbirds have no sense of smell. While they can’t sniff out feeders, they do have good color vision. Some birds like the Ruby-throated Hummingbird prefer orange or red flowers.
5. The average weight of a hummingbird is less than a nickel.
6. Their tiny legs are only used for perching and moving sideways while perched. They can’t walk or hop.
7. Hummingbirds drink the nectar found in feeders by moving their tongue in and out about 13 times per second. They can consume up to double their body weight in a day.
8. The average number of eggs laid by female hummingbirds is only two. These eggs have been found in nests smaller than a half dollar and compare in size to a jellybean or a coffee bean.
9. A flock of hummingbirds can be referred to as a bouquet, a glittering, a hover, a shimmer, or a tune.
10. There are over 330 species of hummingbirds in North and South America!
