The smallest birds, and the only ones that can truly hover and fly backwards. They burn energy faster than any other warm-blooded animal, drink more than their own weight in nectar a day, and survive the night by shutting down so far that they appear dead.

How hovering worksSee the numbers
OrderApodiformes (with swifts)
Lives inThe Americas only
IUCN statusMost Least Concern
DietNectar and insects
HUMMINGBIRDS AT A GLANCE

Hummingbirds are a family of about 366 small birds found only in the Americas, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, with most species in the tropical Andes. They weigh from under 2 g to about 20 g. They feed on flower nectar, which fuels their flight, and on small insects and spiders for protein. Their wings beat in a figure of eight that produces lift on both strokes, so they can hover, fly backwards and turn on the spot. Their closest relatives are swifts. Males take no part in nesting; the female builds a tiny cup of plant down and spider silk and raises two chicks alone.

Figures graded and sourced in the fact sheet below. Numbers vary a great deal between species.
KEY DISCOVERIES
2004European hummingbirdsFossils 30 to 34 million years old from Germany show hummingbirds once lived in Europe (Mayr).
2005How they hoverLaser imaging shows the downstroke gives about 75% of the lift and the upstroke about 25% (Warrick et al.).
2009Fastest for its sizeA diving male Anna’s hummingbird reaches about 385 body lengths a second and pulls about 9 g (Clark).
2011The tongue is a trapHigh-speed film shows the tongue tips spring open and close around nectar, not capillary tubes (Rico-Guevara & Rubega).
2014Tasting sweetHummingbirds are found to have repurposed a savoury taste receptor to detect sugar (Baldwin et al.).
20203.3 °CA black metaltail in the Peruvian Andes cools to 3.3 °C overnight, the lowest of any bird (Wolf et al.).
ONLY IN HUMMINGBIRDS

What makes hummingbirds unlike any other bird?

Short answer: They fly like insects. No other bird can hover in still air for long, fly backwards or upside down, and none lives at such a high metabolic rate.

01True hoveringThe wing turns over at the shoulder so that both the down and up strokes push air downwards.Warrick et al. 2005
02Backwards flightThey reverse out of flowers routinely, at about the same energy cost as flying forwards.Sapir & Dudley 2012
03The highest metabolismWeight for weight, a hovering hummingbird uses oxygen faster than any other vertebrate measured.Suarez 1992
04Nightly shutdownIn torpor, body temperature and heart rate collapse, saving most of the energy a night would cost.Wolf et al. 2020
05A tongue that traps nectarFringed tongue tips open in the liquid and snap shut around it, about 17 times a second.Rico-Guevara & Rubega 2011
06The smallest birdThe bee hummingbird of Cuba weighs under 2 g, less than a small coin.Guinness World Records
FACT SHEET

How fast do a hummingbird’s wings and heart beat?

Short answer: In small species the wings beat about 50 to 80 times a second and the heart can exceed 1,200 beats a minute.

MeasuredEstimatedQuoted, unverified
Smallest speciesMeasured~1.6 to 2 gBee hummingbird~1.6 to 2 gGiant hummingbird~18 to 24 gBee hummingbird, Cuba: about 5 to 6 cm long. Males are smaller than females
WingbeatsMeasured~50 to 80 a secondSmall speciesup to ~80Giant hummingbird~12Smaller species beat faster. Display dives can exceed these rates
Heart rateMeasuredup to ~1,260 a minuteActive~1,260In torpor~50Measured in a blue-throated mountaingem. Lasiewski 1964
Level flightEstimated~40 to 50 km/hCruising~40 to 50Display dive~98 km/hDive figure: male Anna’s hummingbird, about 27 m per second. Clark 2009
Coldest bodyMeasured3.3 °CIn torpor3.3 °CAwake~40 °CBlack metaltail at 3,800 m in Peru. Wolf et al. 2020
Nectar per dayEstimatedmore than body weightNectar~1 to 1.5×Body weight1×Varies with temperature, activity and nectar strength
EggsMeasured2, each ~0.5 gIncubation~14 to 18 daysIn the nest~3 weeksAmong the smallest bird eggs. The female raises the young alone
Longest crossingEstimated~800 km non-stopGulf of Mexico~800 kmFlight time~18 to 22 hRuby-throated hummingbird. Many birds also go around by land
Wings beat 200 times a secondQuoted, unverifiedNoNormal hovering is about 50 to 80 beats a second in small species. Figures of 200 refer to brief wing or tail sounds in courtship dives, and are often misquoted.Popular claim
Read: the fastest wings →
HOVERING

How do hummingbirds hover?

Short answer: By sweeping their wings back and forth in a flat figure of eight. The wing flips over at the end of each stroke, so it pushes air down on the way back as well as on the way forward.

Read: the physics of hovering →
01Forward strokeThe wing sweeps forward and down, leading edge first. This gives most of the lift.
02FlipAt the end of the stroke the whole wing rotates at the shoulder, turning upside down.
03Back strokeThe inverted wing sweeps backwards and still pushes air down.
04Flip againThe wing rotates back, ready for the next forward stroke.
05SteerTilting the stroke plane, like a helicopter rotor, moves the bird forwards, back or sideways.
Where the lift comes fromHummingbird, down~75%Hummingbird, up~25%Most birds, upalmost noneInsects, up~50%Rufous hummingbirds filmed in a wind tunnel with laser-lit mist. Warrick et al. 2005.
A stiff wingThe arm bones are very short, so the wing is mostly "hand" and moves as one rigid paddle.
Huge flight musclesThey make up a quarter to a third of body weight. The muscle that lifts the wing is unusually large.
Eyes that hold stillVision tuned to movement in every direction lets a hovering bird keep its head fixed in space.
In the rainA wet hummingbird shakes its head and body in flight like a dog, each twist lasting four hundredths of a second.
Warrick et al. 2005; Ortega-Jimenez & Dudley 2012.
SUGAR ENGINE

How much does a hummingbird eat?

Short answer: More than its own weight in nectar on a typical day, from hundreds of flowers, plus hundreds of tiny insects. It has to: it is always a few hours from running out of fuel.

Sugar straight to muscleSugar from a meal is powering the flight muscles within minutes, with little stored as fat first.
It can burn fructoseHummingbird muscle uses both glucose and fructose directly, which human muscle cannot do well.
Feeding every few minutesA bird visits flowers in short bouts through the day and rests in between to empty its crop.
Insects for proteinGnats, aphids and spiders supply the protein and fat that nectar lacks, especially for chicks.
High sugar, no diabetesBlood sugar after feeding reaches levels that would be dangerous in people, with no known harm.
TasteTheir ancestors lost the sweet receptor. Hummingbirds rebuilt sugar detection from a savoury one.
Fat for the roadBefore migrating, a bird can nearly double its weight in fat in a week or two.
Kidneys that copeSo much watery nectar means producing dilute urine almost constantly while feeding.
Suarez 1992; Chen & Welch 2014; Baldwin et al. 2014.
TONGUE AND BILL

How does a hummingbird drink?

Short answer: Not by sucking and not by capillary action, as was believed for over a century. The forked tongue opens in the nectar, traps it, and is squeezed dry inside the bill.

01ReachThe tongue shoots out past the bill tip, flattened by the bill on the way.
02OpenIn the nectar the two tips separate and their fringes unfurl.
03FillThe grooves spring back to shape, drawing nectar in.
04CloseAs the tongue withdraws, the fringes roll shut around the liquid.
05SqueezeThe bill presses the nectar off, and the cycle repeats about 17 times a second.
Sword-billed hummingbirdIts bill is longer than its body, the only bird of which that is true. It feeds from flowers no other bird can reach.
Flowers shaped by birdsRed, tubular, scentless flowers that hang clear of leaves are built for hummingbirds, not bees.
Weapons tooMales of some species have hooked, saw-edged or dagger-tipped bills used for stabbing rivals.
Seeing more coloursA fourth type of colour receptor lets them tell apart ultraviolet mixes that look identical to us.
Rico-Guevara & Rubega 2011; Rico-Guevara et al. 2015; Stoddard et al. 2020. Read: sword-billed hummingbird →
TORPOR

What is torpor, and why do hummingbirds do it?

Short answer: A controlled shutdown. A hummingbird cannot store enough fuel to stay warm through a cold night, so it lets its body cool and its heart slow, and restarts before dawn.

Awake and in torporBody temp, awake~40 °CBody temp, torporas low as 3.3 °CHeart, active~1,260 a minHeart, torpor~50 a minLowest temperature: black metaltail, Peruvian Andes. Wolf et al. 2020. Heart rates: Lasiewski 1964.
The savingEnergy use can fall by 90% or more. In the Andes study, birds lost far less weight on nights they went torpid.
Waking takes timeShivering the flight muscles warms the bird again over 20 minutes to an hour.
Looks deadA torpid bird is cold, stiff and unresponsive. It may hang upside down from its perch.
Not every nightBirds use it when fuel is low or nights are cold, and can choose shallow or deep torpor.
A hummingbird found like this should be left alone or kept safe from cats until it warms up.
COLOUR AND DISPLAY

Why do hummingbirds shimmer?

Short answer: Their brightest colours are not pigment. Stacks of microscopic air-filled plates inside the feathers reflect certain colours of light, and only at certain angles.

Structural colourEach barbule holds layers of flat plates. The spacing sets the colour that bounces back.
Now you see itTurn the bird a few degrees and a blazing throat patch goes black.
Tail feathers that singIn a dive, air makes the outer tail feathers flutter, producing a chirp or whistle unique to each species.
The diveA male Anna’s climbs about 30 m, plunges past the female and pulls out at around 9 g.
LeksMale hermits gather at traditional sites and sing for hours a day. Females visit, choose and leave.
AggressionHummingbirds defend flower patches fiercely, chasing off rivals, bees and much larger birds.
The nestA cup about 4 cm across, bound with spider silk so that it stretches as the chicks grow.
Song learningLike parrots and songbirds, hummingbirds learn their songs, one of only three bird groups that do.
Clark 2009; Clark et al. 2011; Eliason et al. 2020. Read: Anna’s hummingbird →
MIGRATION

Do hummingbirds migrate?

Short answer: Some do, and for their size the journeys are among the longest of any bird. Most tropical species stay put or move up and down mountains.

Migration →
Ruby-throated hummingbirdEastern North America to Central AmericaMany cross the Gulf of Mexico in one flight of about 800 km, on about 2 g of fat.
Rufous hummingbirdAlaska to MexicoA round trip of up to about 12,000 km a year, the longest known migration of any bird relative to body length.
Giant hummingbirdChile to the Peruvian AndesTracked birds fly about 8,300 km a year and climb above 4,000 m. Tracking and DNA revealed it is two species.
Fuelling upBirds fatten quickly before departure and stop for days at good flower patches on the way.
MemoryBanded birds return to the same garden, even the same feeder, year after year.
TimingDay length sets the urge to leave. Taking feeders down does not make them go, and leaving them up does not make them stay.
LifespanUsually 3 to 5 years. The oldest known wild bird, a female broad-tailed hummingbird, was at least 12.
Williamson et al. 2024; US Geological Survey banding records. Read: ruby-throated hummingbird →
366 SPECIES

How many kinds of hummingbird are there?

Short answer: About 366, which makes hummingbirds one of the largest bird families. Around 140 live in the Andes, Colombia has more than 160 species and Ecuador about 130.

Read: bee hummingbird →
Bee hummingbirdMellisuga helenaeCubaThe smallest bird in the world.
Giant hummingbirdPatagona gigasThe AndesStarling-sized with slow wingbeats. Its northern sister species is the largest of all.
Sword-billed hummingbirdEnsifera ensiferaAndean cloud forestBill of about 10 cm, longer than its body.
Anna’s hummingbirdCalypte annaPacific coast of North AmericaStays through winter as far north as Canada.
Marvellous spatuletailLoddigesia mirabilisOne valley in northern PeruTwo long tail feathers ending in discs. Near Threatened.
Black metaltailMetallura phoebeHigh Andes of PeruHolder of the record for the coldest bird.
Species count follows the IOC World Bird List and changes as species are split. McGuire et al. 2014.
EVOLUTION

What are hummingbirds related to?

Short answer: Swifts. The two groups split about 42 million years ago, probably in Europe or Asia. Hummingbirds later reached South America, where today’s species began to diversify about 22 million years ago.

Read: hummingbirds, nature’s aerial superstars →
Ostriches and kinThe oldest living bird branchSongbirds and parrotsNot close, despite similar sizePigeonsAnother separate branchNightjarsNight-flying insect-eatersSwiftsClosest living relativesHummingbirdsTrochilidae, about 366 speciesNightbirds and swiftsApodiformes
Relationships simplified, not to time scale. After Prum et al. 2015 and McGuire et al. 2014. Outlines: PhyloPic, CC0.
Fossils in GermanyEurotrochilus, about 30 million years old, already had a long bill and hovering wings. Hummingbirds later vanished from the Old World.
The Andes as an engineAs the mountains rose they created new habitats at every height, and hummingbirds split into new species to fill them.
Evolving with flowersThousands of plant species in the Americas depend on hummingbirds for pollination.
Mayr 2004.
THREATS AND CONSERVATION

Are hummingbirds endangered?

Short answer: Most are not, but roughly one species in ten is threatened. The species at risk are mostly those confined to a single valley, mountain or island.

Endangered register →
Habitat lossHIGHCloud forest and dry forest cleared for farms, cattle and coca. Species with tiny ranges have nowhere else to go.
Climate changeMEDIUMFlowers may bloom before migrants arrive, and mountain species are pushed uphill until the mountain runs out.
Cats, windows and pesticidesMEDIUMIn towns, cats and glass kill many. Insecticides remove their protein and have been found in their bodies.
Small reservesBecause many species have tiny ranges, buying a few hundred hectares can protect a whole species.
Native flowersGardens planted with native tubular flowers feed residents and migrants.
Clean feedersSugar water at one part sugar to four parts water, changed every few days. No red dye, no honey.
BirdLife International, IUCN Red List. All hummingbirds are listed under CITES, which regulates international trade.
MYTH OR FACT

Six hummingbird claims, checked

3Myths2Half true1Facts
01MYTH“Hummingbirds migrate on the backs of geese.”WHERE IT CAME FROMAn old folk explanation for how so small a bird could travel so far.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSBanding and tracking show they fly the whole way under their own power, alone, and on different routes and dates from geese.
WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADThey do it themselves.Sources: 14
02MYTH“Hummingbirds suck nectar through the tongue like a straw.”WHERE IT CAME FROMThe standard explanation from 1833 until 2011.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSHigh-speed video shows the tongue tips open, trap liquid and are squeezed out by the bill. Capillary action is far too slow.
WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADA fluid trap, not a straw.Sources: 05
03MYTH“Hummingbirds have no feet, or cannot use them.”WHERE IT CAME FROMThey are almost never seen walking.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSThey have small feet and perch constantly. The legs are too short for walking or hopping, so they fly even to shift along a branch.
WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADThey perch; they cannot walk.Sources: 15
04HALF TRUE“Hummingbirds only feed from red flowers.”WHERE IT CAME FROMFeeders and many hummingbird flowers are red.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSThey visit flowers of any colour and learn quickly which ones pay. Red stands out to birds and is ignored by many bees, so red flowers are often fuller.
WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADRed is a signpost, not a requirement.Sources: 09
05HALF TRUE“Feeders stop hummingbirds migrating.”WHERE IT CAME FROMWorry that easy food keeps them north too long.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSDay length triggers migration, not food. Feeders help late migrants refuel, and some species now winter further north where feeders and garden plants are common.
WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADThey leave when the days tell them to.Sources: 15
06FACT“A hummingbird can fly upside down.”WHERE IT CAME FROMSeen in fights and escapes.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSFor a moment, yes. Because the wing produces lift on both strokes, a bird can flip, fly backwards or inverted, and recover.
WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADTrue, briefly.Sources: 01
OPEN QUESTIONS

What science still doesn’t know

?How do they avoid diabetes?Blood sugar swings that would damage human tissue cause no known harm. The protection is not understood.
?How do they navigate?First-year birds migrate alone, on a route they have never flown. What they inherit and what they learn is unclear.
?How deep can torpor go?The 3.3 °C record was a surprise. Whether some species go lower, or stay torpid for days, is unknown.
?Why did they leave the Old World?Fossils show hummingbirds in Europe 30 million years ago. Why they died out there is a puzzle.
?How many species are there?Tracking and DNA keep splitting familiar species, as with the giant hummingbird in 2024.
?What do they see?They tell apart colours we cannot imagine. How the brain uses that extra channel is barely studied.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How fast do hummingbird wings beat?+

About 50 to 80 times a second in small species, and as slowly as about 12 in the giant hummingbird.

How do hummingbirds hover?+

Their wings sweep in a figure of eight and flip over on each stroke, so they produce lift on both the forward and backward strokes.

What do hummingbirds eat?+

Flower nectar for energy, and small insects and spiders for protein.

What is the smallest hummingbird?+

The bee hummingbird of Cuba, at about 5 to 6 cm long and under 2 g. It is the smallest bird in the world.

Do hummingbirds sleep?+

Yes. On cold nights or when short of fuel they enter torpor, a deep, cold, slow-hearted state that saves energy.

How long do hummingbirds live?+

Usually 3 to 5 years. The oldest known wild hummingbird was at least 12.

COMPARE AND EXPLORE

Explore hummingbirds further

TOPICHummingbirdsOpen →PROFILEPeregrine falcon profileOpen →PROFILEHoneybee profileOpen →TOOLSpeed RaceOpen →
HOW WE KNOW

Sources and how we check

This page is written by Strange Animals and checked against primary research. Every figure carries a grade and a numbered source.

Cite this pageStrange Animals. (2026, November 15). Hummingbird (Trochilidae): hovering, metabolism, torpor and species. https://strangeanimals.info/birds/hummingbirds/hummingbird
  1. 01Sapir, N. and Dudley, R. Backward flight in hummingbirds employs unique kinematic adjustments and entails low metabolic cost. Journal of Experimental Biology 215: 3603-36112012
  2. 02Warrick, D. R., Tobalske, B. W. and Powers, D. R. Aerodynamics of the hovering hummingbird. Nature 435: 1094-10972005
  3. 03Clark, C. J. Courtship dives of Anna’s hummingbird offer insights into flight performance limits. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 276: 3047-30522009
  4. 04Wolf, B. O. et al. Extreme and variable torpor among high-elevation Andean hummingbird species. Biology Letters 16: 202004282020
  5. 05Rico-Guevara, A. and Rubega, M. A. The hummingbird tongue is a fluid trap, not a capillary tube. PNAS 108: 9356-93602011
  6. 06Baldwin, M. W. et al. Evolution of sweet taste perception in hummingbirds by transformation of the ancestral umami receptor. Science 345: 929-9332014
  7. 07Suarez, R. K. Hummingbird flight: sustaining the highest mass-specific metabolic rates among vertebrates. Experientia 48: 565-5701992
  8. 08Lasiewski, R. C. Body temperatures, heart and breathing rate, and evaporative water loss in hummingbirds. Physiological Zoology 37: 212-2231964
  9. 09Stoddard, M. C. et al. Wild hummingbirds discriminate nonspectral colors. PNAS 117: 15112-151222020
  10. 10McGuire, J. A. et al. Molecular phylogenetics and the diversification of hummingbirds. Current Biology 24: 910-9162014
  11. 11Mayr, G. Old World fossil record of modern-type hummingbirds. Science 304: 861-8642004
  12. 12Williamson, J. L. et al. Extreme elevational migration spurred cryptic speciation in giant hummingbirds. PNAS 121: e23135991212024
  13. 13Clark, C. J., Elias, D. O. and Prum, R. O. Aeroelastic flutter produces hummingbird feather songs. Science 333: 1430-14332011
  14. 14US Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory Longevity records of North American birds. USGS2023
  15. 15Billerman, S. M. et al. (eds) Birds of the World: Trochilidae. Cornell Lab of Ornithology2022
WATCH

Three films worth your time

Slow motionNational GeographicSee Hummingbirds Fly, Shake, Drink in Amazing Slow MotionHummingbirds flying, shaking off water and drinking, filmed at high speed.Pairs with: Hovering →
ExplainerDeep LookWhat Happens When You Put a Hummingbird in a Wind Tunnel?Hummingbirds in a wind tunnel, to see how they stay in place and cope with rain.Pairs with: Hovering →
ClipBBC EarthThe Bird With The World’s Longest BeakThe sword-billed hummingbird, whose bill is longer than its body, and what that costs it.Pairs with: Tongue and bill →
SPECIES PROFILES

More species profiles

All 28 species profiles →
MAMMALS · MARSUPIALSKangarooHopping, pouch, mobsMAMMALS · SLOTHSSlothSlowness, fur, seven speciesMARINE LIFE · SEA TURTLESGreen sea turtleNavigation, grazing, recoveryMAMMALS · UNGULATESGiraffeNeck, blood pressure, speciesBIRDS · RAPTORSBald eagleNests, piracy, recoveryPETS · DOGSDomestic dogOrigins, nose, mind, breedsREPTILES · CROCODILIANSSaltwater crocodileBite, sea travel, recoveryPETS · CATSDomestic catDomestication, senses, purringEXTINCT · DINOSAURSTyrannosaurus rexBite, growth, extinctionREPTILES · MONITORSKomodo dragonVenom, iron teeth, islandsMARINE LIFE · WHALESBlue whaleSize, krill, songINSECTS · BEESHoneybeeWaggle dance, colony, honey

All hummingbird articles

8 articles
HummingbirdsProfile · Apr 8, 2026Hummingbirds: Lift on Both Wing Strokes
HummingbirdsIn depth · Apr 10, 2026Hummingbird Wings: Up to 99 Beats a Second
HummingbirdsIn depth · Apr 9, 2026Hummingbirds: How They Hover in Place
HummingbirdsIn depth · Jul 4, 2025Ruby-Throated Hummingbird: 800 km Nonstop
HummingbirdsIn depth · May 7, 2025Bee Hummingbird: World's Smallest Bird
MantisesIn depth · Mar 31, 2025Chinese Mantis: A Hummingbird Hunter
HummingbirdsIn depth · Mar 8, 2025Anna's Hummingbird: Dive-Bombing at 10 g
HummingbirdsIn depth · Jan 6, 2025Sword-Billed Hummingbird: Bill Beats Body