hummingbirds

     

Phaethornithinae Trochilinae

Trivia about hummingbirds

  • Not only do these birds hover, they're the only ones capable of flying backwards
  • Although these smallest birds are known for drinking nectar, they eat insects as well
  • Maybe these smallest birds got their name because they just don't know the words
  • In North America, these tiny birds are the main birds that pollinate flowers
  • These smallest birds have very small legs & small feet; they perch but don't walk or climb
  • These birds, which usually feed while hovering, flap their wings at a rate of 60-75 times a second
  • The Stokes series of nature books includes a "Beginner's Guide" to these hovering nectar-eating birds
  • Some hawk moths hover just like these tiny birds for which they are sometimes mistaken
  • The Aztecs believed dead warriors were reborn as these swift, small birds
  • The only birds in the family Trochilidae are these "hovercrafts"
  • Because hawk moths flap their wings so rapidly, they are sometimes mistaken for these small birds
  • Gardeners often plant fuchsias to attract these small birds of the family Trochilidae