7 Fascinating Facts About Hummingbirds You Probably Didn’t Know
Hummingbirds can flap their wings up to 80 times per second, allowing them to hover in place, which is unlike any other bird species.
Hummingbirds have one of the highest metabolism rates in the animal kingdom. To fuel their rapid wingbeats, they must eat up to half their body weight in nectar daily.
Unique among birds, hummingbirds can fly backwards. Their ball-and-socket joint at the shoulder allows them to rotate their wings in a full circle, granting them this remarkable flight ability.
Hummingbirds have an excellent memory. They remember the location of flowers and feeders, including when they were last visited, allowing them to return at optimal times for nectar.
Some species of hummingbirds travel thousands of miles during migration, flying non-stop for up to 18 hours to reach warmer climates in the winter.
Their iridescent feathers are not pigmented but are the result of microscopic platelets in the feathers reflecting and refracting light.
A hummingbird’s tongue is incredibly long (often twice the length of its beak) and forked, allowing it to collect nectar efficiently from deep flowers.
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