Imagine a bird so small that it fits in the palm of your hand. This tiny bird is the bee hummingbird, which weighs even less than a U.S. penny. Found exclusively in the Cuban archipelago, this jewel-like creature spends its time flitting through forests and gardens.
Known for its quick movements, the bee hummingbird flaps its wings 80 times per second, or nearly 5,000 beats per minute. It darts from bush to vine, feeding on flowers and insects to sustain its high energy levels.
This tiny bird has a big appetite, eating half its body weight in food each day and visiting up to 1,500 flowers daily. The sugar-rich nectar provides essential energy, while insects offer necessary protein. Capable of flying for up to 20 hours without rest, these birds need a lot of calories.
During courtship, their wing beats can increase to 200 times per second, making them some of the fastest birds on Earth, alongside the ruby-throated hummingbird. Often mistaken for large bumblebees, they weigh less than 0.07 ounces (2 grams).
Not only are they incredibly swift and agile, but they are also strikingly beautiful. Up close, the male bird displays a metallic red head and throat, with fiery ruby feathers on the sides of the breast and a turquoise back. The female has a shimmering aquamarine body with a delicate gray underside.
This delightful hummingbird is a miniature wonder. When a female builds a nest, it’s less than an inch in diameter, about the size of a dime. She then lays an egg no larger than a coffee bean.
Content creator Hummingbird Spot visited the Zapata Peninsula in Cuba, where they had the chance to observe bee hummingbirds feeding in a private garden. The bee hummingbird, or zunzuncito, is known on the island for the buzzing sound of its wings, which resemble a “zun-zun.” Photographer and team member Carole Turek described the experience as spectacular.
She was amazed by the bee hummingbird. According to her, the male bee hummingbird is only 2.2 inches or 6 centimeters long, while the female is slightly bigger. The bee hummingbird left her in awe.
One of the best places to see these precious little birds is either at the Zapata Peninsula Reserve or nearby Playa Larga on the Bay of Pigs. Viewers of Turek’s YouTube video chronicling her adventure were captivated by the birds’ stunning colors. One viewer likened the experience to looking through a kaleidoscope, while another marveled at how such tiny birds could survive the massive storms and hurricanes in the area.
Despite their cute appearance, hummingbirds are not to be underestimated. With their plump and round bodies, they might seem like easy prey for predators like tropical spiders and frogs, but these charming creatures have a bold personality. They are territorial in their feeding zones and aggressively chase off intruders. Despite their small size, they are fantastic fliers and can take off in any direction, including backward and upside down.
Hummingbirds are also expressive communicators, using squeaking and twittering sounds to interact with each other as they zoom around. They make a soft buzzing noise as they fly, almost like a bumblebee.
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