The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird species that breeds in eastern North America, migrating up to 900 km across the Gulf of Mexico non-stop each spring and fall. These tiny birds have the highest metabolic rate of any warm-blooded animal and must consume up to twice their body weight in nectar daily. Their wings beat 40–80 times per second, enabling the only birds capable of sustained hovering, backward, and even upside-down flight.
About the Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
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💡 Fun Facts
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Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards and even briefly upside down.
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Their heart beats up to 1,260 times per minute during flight.
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At night, hummingbirds enter torpor — a mini-hibernation — dropping their body temperature to near ambient to survive without food.
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A hummingbird's tongue is forked, fringed, and laps nectar at up to 20 times per second via a pumping mechanism.
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Despite weighing under 5 grams, ruby-throats fly 900+ km non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico during migration.
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