Hummingbird Facts
Instructions: Discover the tiny marvels that visit our backyard feeders — their speed, their journeys, and the secrets behind their sparkle.
- 1.
What is the smallest bird species in the world?
ABee HummingbirdBRuby-throated HummingbirdCGolden-crowned KingletDAnna's Hummingbird - 2.
Besides flying forward, what unique flying ability do hummingbirds have that most other birds lack?
AFlying backwardsBFlying upside down for hours at a timeCSwimming underwaterDWalking on the surface of water - 3.
About how many hummingbird species are known to exist worldwide?
AAbout 50BAbout 360CAbout 1,000DAbout 120 - 4.
Where are hummingbirds naturally found in the wild?
AWorldwide, on every continent except AntarcticaBAfrica and AsiaCThe Americas onlyDEurope and Australia - 5.
About how many times per second does a Ruby-throated Hummingbird flap its wings during normal flight?
AAbout 5 timesBAbout 15 timesCAbout 200 timesDAbout 50 times - 6.
During flight, a hummingbird's heart can beat up to how many times per minute?
AUp to 1,200 timesBAbout 100 timesCAbout 400 timesDAbout 20 times - 7.
What is the name for the sleep-like state hummingbirds enter each night to conserve energy?
AHibernation lasting several monthsBTorporCMoltingDBrumation - 8.
Besides nectar, what else do hummingbirds regularly eat?
AOnly flower nectarBOnly seeds and berriesCSmall insects and spidersDOnly tree sap - 9.
What is the recommended sugar-to-water ratio for a homemade backyard hummingbird feeder?
A1 part sugar to 1 part waterB2 parts sugar to 1 part waterC1 part sugar to 10 parts waterD1 part sugar to 4 parts water - 10.
What color is the throat patch, or gorget, of a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird?
AIridescent redBBright blueCDeep purpleDSolid black - 11.
What material do hummingbirds use to bind their tiny nests together?
AHuman hair woven togetherBSpider silkCSticky tree sap aloneDMud and clay - 12.
Which hummingbird is known for making one of the longest migrations relative to its body size, traveling between Alaska and Mexico?
AAnna's HummingbirdBCosta's HummingbirdCRufous HummingbirdDBroad-billed Hummingbird - 13.
Many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly nonstop over which body of water during migration?
AThe Rocky MountainsBThe Atlantic OceanCThe Pacific OceanDThe Gulf of Mexico - 14.
What kind of garden flowers are especially good at attracting hummingbirds?
AFlat, open flowers like daisiesBFlowers with no scentCOnly white flowersDTubular flowers, especially in red or orange - 15.
Which hummingbird is known for staying year-round along the Pacific Coast instead of migrating south for winter?
ARufous HummingbirdBAnna's HummingbirdCRuby-throated HummingbirdDBroad-tailed Hummingbird
Answer Key
The Bee Hummingbird, found only in Cuba, is the smallest bird in the world — some individuals weigh about as much as a dime and measure barely 2 inches long.
Thanks to a unique figure-eight motion of their wings, hummingbirds are the only birds able to fly backwards, and they can hover in one spot with ease.
Scientists recognize roughly 360 hummingbird species, and the vast majority of them live in the tropical regions of Central and South America.
Hummingbirds are found naturally only in the Americas, from Alaska down to southern Chile — there isn't a single wild hummingbird in Europe, Asia, Africa, or Australia.
A Ruby-throated Hummingbird flaps its wings roughly 50 times per second in normal flight, which is what creates the humming sound that gives the bird its name.
A hummingbird's heart can race to more than 1,200 beats per minute during flight, one of the fastest heart rates of any animal on Earth.
Each night, hummingbirds can enter torpor, a state where their heart rate and body temperature drop dramatically so they can save energy until morning.
Nectar provides quick energy, but hummingbirds also need protein, so they regularly catch small insects and spiders, especially when raising chicks.
The classic backyard recipe is 1 part plain white sugar to 4 parts water, with no red dye needed since it isn't good for the birds.
The male Ruby-throated Hummingbird's throat patch flashes a brilliant iridescent red in sunlight, a feature used to attract mates.
Hummingbirds bind their walnut-sized nests together with spider silk, which stretches like elastic so the nest can grow along with the chicks.
Pound for pound, the Rufous Hummingbird makes one of the longest migrations of any bird, traveling nearly 4,000 miles between Alaska and Mexico each year.
Many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico, a roughly 500-mile journey, after fueling up by nearly doubling their body weight in fat.
Long, tubular flowers in red or orange, like trumpet vine, salvia, and bee balm, are especially good at luring hummingbirds into the garden.
While most North American hummingbirds migrate south for winter, Anna's Hummingbird stays put year-round along the Pacific Coast, even through cold weather.