![]() consume about half their body weight in nectar and small insects and spiders every day. With such rapid and constant flapping of their wings, they must refuel every 10 to 15 minutes. If that is not impressive enough, these tiny birds are able to fly for up to 20 hours without a break. These species are virtually the same size, the exception is that the male bee hummingbird is slightly smaller than either the male or female vervain. They are the only birds with the ability to fly backward, straight up, and upside down. Bee hummingbirds are the smallest hummingbird in the world, with only one relative comparable in size - the Vervain hummingbird, native to Jamaica and Hispaniola. Hummingbird wings can rotate 180 degrees in all directions. They are even faster during courtship when their wings speed up to 200 beats per second. ![]() These Tiny Birds Impress in Flightīee Hummingbirds are spectacular to watch! While in flight, their tiny wings beat up to 80 times per second. The male’s are black and the female’s white. The main difference in the appearance of the sexes is the color of the tips of their tail feathers. The female and non-breeding male are largely pale grey and white with bluish-green upper plumage. The breeding male is distinct in color with its head, chin, and throat turning a beautiful pink-red color. However, its radiance is not always apparent and depends on the angle at which the bird is viewed and the quality of light. The brilliant iridescent colors of this tiny hummingbird give it the magical appearance of a moving jewel. In comparison, a cicada grows to 2 inches. The females of the species grow to 2.4 inches in length, 6cm, while the males only reach 2.2 inches in length, 5.5 cm, with a wingspan of 1.5 inches. In fact, the Bee Hummingbird is scarcely larger than a bumblebee. It’s so miniature, it is often mistaken for an insect. Renowned among birdwatchers everywhere as the worlds smallest bird, although the Vervain Hummingbird (Mellisuga minima), of Jamaica and Hispaniola. That is half the weight of any other backyard hummingbird. Other small hummingbirds appear quite thin, but the Bee Hummingbird is plump, rounded, and weighs in at less than two grams. This tiny bird is as the smallest hummingbird in the world and that is not the only fascinating thing about this beautiful creature. Endemic to the Cuba Archipelago, the Bee Hummingbird is often found in the patchy brush and thickly grown shrubs in isolated steep-sided hills called Mogotes in eastern Cuba and in Cuba’s UNESCO Biosphere wetland reserve, the Zapata Swamp. Cuba is a biodiversity hotspot and home to some of the most unique bird species in the world, including the beautiful, endangered Bee Hummingbird.
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