Interesting Hummingbird Facts

-Unlike other birds, a hummingbird can rotate it's wings in a circle.
Because of this special hummingbird fact, they are the only bird that can fly both forwards and backwards. They can also fly up, down, sideways, hover in one spot, or fly upside down for short distances.

-Normal flight speed is about 25 miles per hour, but they have been clocked at speeds in excess of fifty miles per hour during their courtship dives.

-During normal flight their wings beat about 60-80 times per second. In their courtship dives they might beat up to 200 times per second.

-Most hummingbirds unfortunately die during their fist year but, those that do survive that first year have an average life span of 3 to 4 years.Hummingbirds will feed 5 to eight times every hour for 30 to 60 seconds at a time.

-The large portion of a hummingbirds diet is sugar which they get from flower nectar and tree sap. They also eat insects and pollen to get protein to build muscle.



How sad that they don't live very long-I wonder if all birds die so soon!?