Buzz
From one end of the Americas to the other, these tiny, fast-moving creatures zip across gardens in search of nectar. All throughout the summer, they perform amazing aerial acrobatics, occasionally sipping from vibrant bird feeders. Although hummingbirds are only found in the western hemisphere, they’ve become iconic for their stunning beauty and remarkable characteristics. With their long, needle-like beaks, they drink nectar from flowers, fueling a hyperactive metabolism that demands enormous amounts of energy. They are the only birds capable of hovering and flying backward. But there’s more to them than just these feats — prepare to be astonished by just how extraordinary hummingbirds are. They might very well be the most fascinating and unusual birds on Earth.
10. Swordlike Beaks
It’s widely known that hummingbirds use their long, slender beaks to reach deep into flowers and drink nectar. The bird enjoys its meal, and the flower gets pollinated. Initially, scientists thought the shape of the flower influenced the evolution of these narrow, needle-like bills, but this theory is now under reconsideration. Perhaps it was the hummingbirds that developed the beaks first, and the flowers adapted to them. So, why did hummingbirds evolve such long, thin beaks? Researchers studied the long-billed hermit hummingbird and found that the reason could be for males to fight each other.
Studies have shown that as male hummingbirds mature, their beaks become longer and sharper than those of the females. It turns out that these beautiful little birds fluttering around your garden may actually be attempting to use their sword-like bills against each other. This behavior is part of how males establish territory. When a female is present, a male will attempt to court her, but first, he must chase away the other males in the area. That leads to an intense aerial duel with face-daggers. The victor then gets to perform a courtship dance, while the loser faces a beak strike to the throat. No other bird is known to use its bill to stab its rivals in such a manner.
9. Exceptional Flight
Hummingbirds are incredibly fast and agile, but not everyone fully appreciates just how aerodynamically perfect these tiny creatures are. Researchers from Stanford University compared 12 hummingbirds with one of the world’s smallest drones, the Black Hornet Nano, a device used by the military for reconnaissance. While helicopters are generally more efficient at hovering than birds, these hummingbirds “performed similarly to the tiny drone.” However, one species, the Calypte anna, showed that its wings were “22 percent more efficient than the drone’s rotor blades.”
One of the key factors behind the hummingbird’s flight abilities is that it flies more like an insect than a typical bird. While most birds rely on the downstroke of their wings for lift, hummingbirds, like insects, generate lift not only during the downstroke but also during the upstroke. Specifically, “75 percent of the bird’s weight is supported by the downstroke, while the remaining 25 percent is lifted by the upstroke.” They achieve this by inverting their wings during the upstroke. The upstroke is just as aerodynamically efficient as the downstroke; they simply apply more power during the downstroke to create more lift. This is why hummingbirds are the only birds capable of hovering, flying backward, and even upside-down.
8. Fearless Performers
The Anna’s hummingbird holds the title of the fastest bird in the world when measured relative to its size. While the peregrine falcon can dive at speeds of 320 kilometers per hour (200 mph), it only moves at 200 body lengths per second. In contrast, the Anna’s hummingbird reaches speeds of 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph), but it covers a remarkable 385 body lengths per second. That’s even faster than fighter jets, which only travel about 39 of their lengths per second.
When these tiny birds perform their high-speed dives, they’re experiencing forces of up to 10 Gs. The only other beings that endure this level of pressure are fighter pilots, who risk blacking out at 7 Gs. But why do they engage in these heart-stopping dives? To serenade the ladies, of course. As they descend, their tail feathers vibrate, producing a chirping sound. This high-speed dive not only grabs the attention of potential mates, but the chirping noise coming from the tail feathers cannot be mimicked. Only the fittest males can perform this stunt, and it serves as a perfect way for a discerning female to evaluate a suitor. If a male can’t dive to Earth at speeds greater than a jet, enduring enough G-force to knock out a human, while making his tail feathers chirp, then he’s not worthy of her attention.
7. Can Efficiently Burn Multiple Fuel Types
Hummingbirds expend an enormous amount of energy from their constant flitting around, flying upside-down, and diving towards the ground in death-defying plunges. “If a hummingbird were the size of a human, it would burn energy at a rate more than 10 times that of an Olympic marathon runner.” To maximize the energy they extract from their food, hummingbirds possess a unique trait not found in other vertebrates: they can burn both fructose and glucose with equal efficiency.
Humans, on the other hand, can’t do this. Fructose and glucose are the two primary sugars we consume. Fructose comes mainly from fruits, while glucose is found in starches. Although the body can convert glucose directly into energy, only 1 percent of the fructose we ingest can be used right away. The rest has to be processed by the liver. Some of it turns into glucose, and some is stored as fat. Many soft drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, which places a strain on our livers and contributes to weight gain.
Hummingbirds, however, can consume as much fructose as they desire without putting on fat, as it directly fuels their muscles. “Because hummingbirds burn sugar so rapidly, if they were the size of an average human, they would need to drink more than one can of soda per minute, even though it’s mostly composed of high-fructose corn syrup.” Scientists are still uncertain about how they manage this, but it’s universally acknowledged as an impressive, almost enviable feat. Imagine being able to meet most of your energy needs just by drinking your favorite sugary soda.
Note: This doesn’t mean you should feed a hummingbird anything other than the proper recipe for hummingbird food. Offering a hummingbird something like soda could be harmful or even fatal to the bird.
6. Never Forgets
Hummingbirds lead a high-energy life, burning through fuel constantly. To keep going, these energetic creatures need to sip nectar from hundreds of flowers each day. Luckily, they have an exceptional memory. In fact, the part of their brain that controls learning and memory, the hippocampal formation, is enormous—two to five times larger than that of any other bird.
These birds are incredibly intelligent and can remember the precise location of each flower within their territory, as well as how long it takes for a flower to refill after they’ve fed. This incredible memory allows them to plan their feeding route with utmost efficiency. While many animals can remember what they’ve seen, no other species has demonstrated the ability to recall when they saw it—this was thought to be a uniquely human trait. But now, it’s known that not only can hummingbirds keep track of where their flowers are, but they can also remember how long it takes for the flowers to refill, all while fending off rivals and putting on a show for the ladies.
5. Plants Recognize Hummingbirds
Plants can be quite selective about their pollinators. While some favor bees, others prefer birds. The advantage of using hummingbirds for pollination is that they can work in environments and across distances where bees struggle. For example, bees are not effective in cold weather or rain. But how do plants decide who to partner with? It all starts with “anti-bee” tactics. For instance, some flowers lack scent, as bees rely on smell while hummingbirds are attracted mainly by color. Red is a favored color for flowers seeking birds, probably because bees cannot perceive red. Some plants take it even further, designing flowers that are long and narrow, which insects can’t access, but the bills of certain hummingbirds fit perfectly like a key into a lock.
Heliconia tortuosa takes it a step further. This plant won’t begin to germinate unless it’s visited by one of two particular species of hummingbirds: the violet sabrewings or the green hermits. This fascinating discovery was made when scientists struggled to breed the plants in the lab. However, when these specific hummingbirds visit, there’s an 80 percent chance that the plant will be successfully fertilized.
These two species of hummingbirds are found across vast areas, which likely aids Heliconia tortuosa in spreading its genetic material more widely. But how does the plant recognize these birds? Heliconia tortuosa has deep flowers, and when other pollinators visit, they can only access part of the nectar. However, sabrewings and green hermits, with their longer bills, are able to suck it all up. This action signals to the plant that it’s been visited by one of its preferred pollinators.
4. Strange Tastes
Humans can detect five main tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (the latter being the relatively new discovery that picks up savory flavors like those from meats and cheeses). Birds, however, cannot taste anything sweet. This lack of a sweet taste response isn’t unique to birds—cats also don't react to sweetness. Many animals have limited taste abilities in specific areas, but birds are particularly unique in that they genetically lack the ability to sense sweetness.
There is only one known gene in vertebrates responsible for sensing sweetness, and birds don't have it. So, how do hummingbirds, who thrive on nectar, recognize sweetness? After years of research, it was discovered that hummingbirds have adapted their umami receptors to detect sweet flavors and carbohydrates, a challenging adaptation. As one researcher puts it, “Amino acids and sugars have very different structures, so to recognize and sense them, you need an entirely different mechanism. The key is completely different, requiring a nearly complete overhaul of the receptor.” Essentially, hummingbirds use their umami sense to detect sweetness. The real question is: Does nectar taste like gravy to them?
3. Torpor
For hummingbirds, keeping up their energy levels is essential. These tiny birds hold the title of the smallest warm-blooded creatures on the planet, and they possess the highest metabolism of any animal. Small animals lose body heat rapidly, and even when hummingbirds are at rest, they still burn an immense amount of calories. On top of that, their feathers offer minimal insulation, so a chilly night could spell disaster for them.
To survive, hummingbirds have developed the ability to enter a state of suspended animation called ‘torpor.’ It’s similar to hibernation, but while hibernation can last an entire season, hummingbirds use torpor for a single night. Although many animals can hibernate, hummingbirds are among the few vertebrates capable of entering torpor any night of the year. If temperatures drop, they can shut down all non-essential functions, reducing their metabolic rate by up to 95 percent. While in torpor, they use 50 percent less energy and can even lower their body temperature to the “hypothermic threshold,” the minimum needed to survive. Essentially, they can hover on the edge of hypothermia and death on demand.
2. Trap Jaws
Surviving on sugary liquids alone isn’t enough, even for hummingbirds. They also need protein and other essential nutrients, which they get by eating insects—around 300 fruit flies every day. But catching these bugs requires a few specialized adaptations. The first challenge is their long, needle-like bills, which aren't ideal for insect-catching. The solution is that their bills can widen. Thankfully, the bills are made from flexible bones, and special jaw muscles help twist and bend them outward as the mouth opens, creating a larger surface area that’s perfect for snaring bugs.
But the hummingbird’s bill adaptation is just one of the tricks up its sleeve. It also uses stored elastic energy to snap its jaws shut at speeds faster than muscle power alone could achieve. This technique, known as snap-buckling, is “similar to the opening and closing of a snap hair clip.” Essentially, the bird opens its beak and then shuts it within a hundredth of a second, allowing it to catch even the most nimble insects. While snap-buckling can also be seen in Venus flytraps and cicadas, hummingbirds are the only vertebrates known to employ this strategy.
1. Super Tongues
Hummingbirds are equipped with some of the most efficient and unique tongues found in nature. Since they must consume up to 14 times their body weight in nectar every day, their tongues have evolved for rapid, precise feeding. A hummingbird’s tongue can flick out 20 times per second, and in some species, it’s so long that it can even wrap around the bird's skull.
Hummingbirds have tongues that are forked, almost like a snake’s but more unusual. These forked tongues are lined with hair-like structures known as lamellae. Initially, it was believed that capillary action, similar to how a sponge absorbs water from a puddle, explained how hummingbirds drink. This model only works when they drink from the surface of the liquid, but there’s a catch. Capillary action doesn’t work well with thick, sugary nectar—exactly what hummingbirds prefer. Recently, it was discovered that when a hummingbird dips its tongue into nectar, the lamellae naturally spread out. As the bird retracts its tongue, the lamellae trap the nectar, which is then drawn into the mouth. This allows the hummingbird to quickly slurp up seven mouthfuls of syrup in the blink of an eye.
