The World's Smallest Birds: Bee Hummingbirds

   

As their name suggests, bee hummingbirds are barely bigger than bees and make a buzzy sound while flying, similar to a bumblebee. Bee hummingbirds are the world’s smallest birds and have one of the fastest heartbeats at more than 1,200 beats per minute. They weigh 1.6-2 grams, are 5 to 6 centimeters long, and have a lifespan of 7-10 years. These birds can fly for 20 hours without a break and can fly straight up, down, backward, and upside down. During a typical day, a bee hummingbird will eat half its body weight in food and will help pollinate up to 1,500 flowers. They mainly feed on nectar but will occasionally eat an insect or spider. 
   
Bee hummingbirds are native to the entire Cuban archipelago and live in rainforests, mountain valleys, swamplands, dry forests, and rural gardens. They are sedentary, which means they inhabit the same locality throughout their life and only make short movements to nearby islands. Male bee hummingbirds are very territorial towards their feeding areas and will aggressively chase away intruders. 
   
These birds are generally solitary, but males will come together in groups called leks during the breeding season to sing and perform competitive mating displays to attract females. Bee hummingbirds are polygamous, one male can mate with many females throughout the breeding season, and females will solely be responsible for the offspring. Their nests have a diameter of less than an inch and are composed of lichen, bark, and cobwebs and lined with soft plant material. The female bird lays two eggs, the size of garden peas, and incubates them for approximately three weeks. Baby bee hummingbirds are born blind and have no feathers. They leave the nest about 18 to 24 days after hatching or once their wing feathers have fully formed. 



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