The bee hummingbird is endemic to the entire Cuban archipelago, including the main island of Cuba and the Isla de la Juventud in the West Indies. In a typical day, bee hummingbirds will consume up to half their body weight in food. They occasionally eat insects and spiders. These flowers include Hamelia patens (Rubiaceae), Chrysobalanus icaco (Chrysobalanaceae), Pavonia paludicola (Malvaceae), Forsteronia corymbosa (Apocynaceae), Lysiloma latisiliquum (Mimosaceae), Turnera ulmifolia (Passifloraceae), Antigonon leptopus (Polygonaceae), Clerodendrum aculeatum (Verbenaceae), Tournefortia hirsutissima (Boraginaceae), and Cissus obovata (Vitaceae). The bee hummingbird has been reported to visit ten plant species, nine of them native to Cuba. This characterization is based upon the recognition that birds are, in fact, a living form of dinosaurs (or, strictly speaking, avian dinosaurs), and no smaller bird or non-avian dinosaur has been found in the fossil record. The bee hummingbird has also been described as "the smallest dinosaur". The bee hummingbird lives up to seven years in the wild, and 10 years in captivity. It is a diurnal bird that can fly at 40–48 km/h (22–26 kn 11–13 m/s), and it beats its wings 80–200 times per second, which allows it to remain stationary in the air to feed on flowers. In one day, the bee hummingbird may visit 1,500 flowers. In this way, it plays an important role in plant reproduction. When it flies from flower to flower, it transfers the pollen. In the process of feeding, the bird picks up pollen on its bill and head. The bee hummingbird feeds mainly on nectar, by moving its tongue rapidly in and out of its mouth. The bird's slender, pointed bill is adapted for probing deep into flowers. The bee hummingbird's feathers have iridescent colors, which is not always noticeable, but depends on the viewing angle. The female lays only two eggs at a time, each about the size of a coffee bean. During the mating season, males have a reddish to pink head, chin, and throat. The tips of their tail feathers have white spots. įemale bee hummingbirds are bluish green with a pale gray underside. Compared to other small hummingbirds, which often have a slender appearance, the bee hummingbird looks rounded and plump. ![]() The male has a green pileum and bright red throat, iridescent gorget with elongated lateral plumes, bluish upper parts, and the rest of the underparts mostly greyish white. Like all hummingbirds, it is a swift, strong flier. Females weigh 2.6 g (0.092 oz) and are 6.1 cm ( 2 + 3⁄ 8 in) long, and are slightly larger than males, which have an average weight of 1.95 g (0.069 oz) and length of 5.5 cm ( 2 + 1⁄ 8 in). The bee hummingbird is the smallest living bird. © 2017 Tune In to Nature.The bee hummingbird, zunzuncito or Helena hummingbird ( Mellisuga helenae) is a species of hummingbird, native to the island of Cuba in the Caribbean. Budney.īirdNote’s theme music was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler. Available now.īird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. This new book is a photographic guide to these elusive bird groups. ![]() Support for BirdNote comes from Bloomsbury Wildlife, publisher of Antpittas and Gnateaters. Writers for BirdNote include Bob Sundstrom, Dennis Paulson, Gordon Orians, Ellen Blackstone, Rick Wright, GrrlScientist, Todd Peterson, and Bryan Pfeiffer. And during a courtship flight, they beat up to 200 times per second! The male’s entire head and throat shine in fiery pinkish-red, and blazing red feathers point like spikes down the sides of the breast. In flight, the Bee Hummingbird’s tiny wings beat 80 times a second. Her eggs are about the size of a coffee bean. The female builds a nest barely an inch across. That’s half the weight of our backyard hummers, like the Ruby-throated or Rufous. They weigh less than two grams - less than a dime. Bee Hummingbirds are often mistaken for bees. It measures a mere two and a quarter inches long. The Bee Hummingbird, which is found only in Cuba, is an absolute miniature, even among hummingbirds. There, hovering at the flowers - if you squint hard enough - you’ll find the Bee Hummingbird. Once on the island, your best bet for tracking down the tiny wonder is to visit a forest edge hung heavily with vines and bromeliads. ![]() ![]() Would you like to see the world’s smallest bird? Then you’ll need to travel to Cuba.
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