Hummingbirds

• Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds in the world.  
• Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly both forward and backwards.
• A hummingbird can weigh anywhere between 2 and 20 grams.
• A hummingbird's metabolism is roughly 100 times that of an elephant.
• Hummingbirds have tongues that are grooved like the shape of a "W".
• Hummingbirds have no sense of smell, but can hear better than humans.
• Hummingbirds see in ultraviolet light and they can see further than a human.
• Hummingbirds have a great memory – they remember every flower & feeder they've been to, and how long it will take a flower to refill.
• The hummingbird brain is 4.2% of its body weight – this is the largest, in proportion, of the wild bird group.
• Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly like a helicopter… up, down, sideways, front, and back!
• Hummingbirds are the second largest family of birds with a total of 332 species.
• A hummingbird's heart beats up to 1,260 times per minute.
• Hummingbirds do not mate for life.
• A baby hummingbird is roughly the size of a penny and is unable to fly.
• The average life span of a hummingbird is 5 years, but they have been known to live for more than 10 years.
• Hummingbirds fly at an average of 25-30 miles per hour, and are able to dive up to 50 miles per hour.