Interesting Facts About Hummingbirds
- Hummingbirds are the only birds that can hover in one spot and fly backwards and fly sideways.
- Their wings beat up to 80 times a second and they can fly as fast as 65 mph.
- They are as long as a baseball card.
- They love to fight.
- Their wings make a humming sound.
- They make squeaky noises but do not sing.
- Their nest is made from spider webs and plant parts. It is less than an inch across.
- They love the color red. So if you want hummingbirds you should have a red feeder. If you wear red they will check you out and if you hold a red flower in your hand they might try to drink from it.
- Your feeder should be one part sugar to four parts water. You should change the feeder water once every three days so it doesn’t get mold.
- They have a very long forked tongue and they can lap up nectar 13 times a second.
- These pictures are of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, these are the only kinds of hummingbirds in this area.
- In Central and South America there are more than 300 kinds of hummingbirds.
- The male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird’s throat looks black unless it is in the sun, then it looks orange-red. The female has a white throat.
I like the hummingbirds. It is fun to watch them chase each other.
Do you have hummingbird questions?
This is a female. My Pop-Pop took this picture at his house.
I used these books:
Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Headaches: And Other Answers to Bird Questions You Know You Want to Ask
National Geographic My First Pocket Guide Garden Birds 
National Audubon Society North America Birdfeeder Guide
