Bee hummingbird | |
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Male in flight | |
Female in flight | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Clade: | Strisores |
Order: | Apodiformes |
Family: | Trochilidae |
Genus: | Mellisuga |
Species: | M. helenae |
Binomial name | |
Mellisuga helenae (Lembeye, 1850) | |
The bee hummingbird, zunzuncito or Helena hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) is a species of hummingbird, native to the island of Cuba in the Caribbean. It is the smallest known bird. [3] [4] The bee hummingbird feeds on nectar of flowers and bugs found in Cuba. [5]
The bee hummingbird is the smallest living bird. [3] [4] Females weigh 2.6 g (0.092 oz) and are 6.1 cm (2+3⁄8 in) long, and are slightly larger than males, which have an average weight of 1.95 g (0.069 oz) and length of 5.5 cm (2+1⁄8 in). [3] Like all hummingbirds, it is a swift, strong flier.
The male has a green pileum and bright red throat, iridescent gorget with elongated lateral plumes, bluish upper parts, and the rest of the underparts mostly greyish white. [4] [5] Compared to other small hummingbirds, which often have a slender appearance, the bee hummingbird looks rounded and plump. [5]
Female bee hummingbirds are bluish green with a pale gray underside. [5] The tips of their tail feathers have white spots. During the mating season, males have a reddish to pink head, chin, and throat. The female lays only two eggs at a time, each about the size of a coffee bean. [4]
The bee hummingbird's feathers have iridescent colors, which is not always noticeable, but depends on the viewing angle. The bird's slender, pointed bill is adapted for probing deep into flowers. The bee hummingbird feeds mainly on nectar, by moving its tongue rapidly in and out of its mouth. In the process of feeding, the bird picks up pollen on its bill and head. When it flies from flower to flower, it transfers the pollen. In this way, it plays an important role in plant reproduction. In one day, the bee hummingbird may visit 1,500 flowers. [6] It is a diurnal bird that can fly at 40–48 km/h (22–26 kn; 11–13 m/s), and it beats its wings 80–200 times per second, which allows it to remain stationary in the air to feed on flowers. The bee hummingbird lives up to seven years in the wild, and 10 years in captivity. [3]
The bee hummingbird has also been described as the smallest dinosaur
. [7] This characterization is based upon the recognition that birds are, in fact, a living form of theropod dinosaurs (or, strictly speaking, avian dinosaurs), [8] and no smaller bird or non-avian dinosaur has been found in the fossil record. [7]
The call is described as high pitched, jumbled twitter
. [9] Within their territory a male will often sing atop the highest tree. [10]
The bee hummingbird has been reported to visit ten plant species, nine of them native to Cuba. [11]
Plant Name | Picture |
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Hamelia patens (Rubiaceae) | |
Chrysobalanus icaco (Chrysobalanaceae) | |
Pavonia paludicola (Malvaceae) | |
Forsteronia corymbosa (Apocynaceae) | |
Lysiloma latisiliquum (Mimosaceae) | |
Turnera ulmifolia (Passifloraceae) | |
Antigonon leptopus (Polygonaceae) | |
Clerodendrum aculeatum (Verbenaceae) | |
Tournefortia hirsutissima (Boraginaceae) | |
Cissus obovata (Vitaceae) |
They occasionally eat insects and spiders. In a typical day, bee hummingbirds will consume up to half their body weight in food. [11]
The closest evolutionary relative of the bee hummingbird is the vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima), the only other member of its genus. [12] The habitats of the vervain hummingbird are in Cuba's neighboring islands, Hispaniola and Jamaica. [12]
The bee hummingbird is endemic to the entire Cuban archipelago, including the main island of Cuba and the Isla de la Juventud in the West Indies. [3] [13] In these regions bee hummingbirds generally live in areas of thick growth that contain lianas and epiphytes. [5] Its population is fragmented; it is found in Cuba's mogote areas in Pinar del Río Province [14] and more commonly in Zapata Swamp (Matanzas Province) and in eastern Cuba, with reference localities in Alexander Humboldt National Park and Baitiquirí Ecological Reserve (Guantánamo Province) and Gibara and Sierra Cristal (Holguín Province). [15]
Bee hummingbirds reach sexual maturity at one year of age. [3] Male bee hummingbirds court females with sound from tail-feathers, which flutter during display dives. [16] The bee hummingbird's breeding season is March–June, with the female laying one or two eggs. [17]
Using strands of cobwebs, bark, and lichen, female bee hummingbirds build a cup-shaped nest about 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter and 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft) off the ground. The nest is lined with a layer of soft plant wool. [18] Branches in mature, leafy jucaro ( Terminalia buceras ) and juvenile ocuje ( Calophyllum antillanum ) trees are commonly used for nest building.[ citation needed ] After completion of the nest, the eggs are incubated for 21 days by only the female, followed by 2 days of hatching, and 18 days of care by the mother. During days of care the mother will hunt for small insects while chicks are left alone in the nest. Over the final 4–5 days of care, juvenile bee hummingbirds practice their flight capabilities. The nests are used only once. [17]
The bee hummingbird's interaction with the flowers that supply nectar is a notable example of bird–plant coevolution with its primary food source (flowers for nectar). [4] [13] Flowers that bee hummingbirds often feed from are odorless, have long narrow tubular corolla that are brightly colored, and has dilute nectar. [19]
Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Central and South America. As of 2024, 21 hummingbird species are listed as endangered or critically endangered, with numerous species declining in population.
In biology, coevolution occurs when two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolution through the process of natural selection. The term sometimes is used for two traits in the same species affecting each other's evolution, as well as gene-culture coevolution.
The ruby-throated hummingbird is a species of hummingbird that generally spends the winter in Central America, Mexico, and Florida, and migrates to Canada and other parts of Eastern North America for the summer to breed. It is the most common hummingbird in eastern North America, having population estimates of about 35 million in 2021.
The black-chinned hummingbird is a hummingbird occupying a broad range of habitats. Its summer range is in the western United States and southwestern Canada. It is migratory, wintering as far south as Mexico. In sunlight, the gorget of iridescent purple feathers bordering its black chin is noticeable.
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The broad-tailed hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird species found in highland regions from western United States and Western Canada to Mexico and Guatemala.
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The sword-billed hummingbird, also known as the swordbill, is a neotropical species of hummingbird from the Andean regions of South America. It is the only member in the genus Ensifera. Among the largest species of hummingbird, it is characterized by its unusually long bill, being the only bird to have a beak longer than the rest of its body, excluding the tail. It uses its bill to drink nectar from flowers with long corollas and has coevolved with the species Passiflora mixta. While most hummingbirds preen using their bills, the sword-billed hummingbird uses its feet to scratch and preen due to its bill being so long.
The volcano hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. This hummingbird is the one that appears on the 20 thousand colones bill from Costa Rica.
The lucifer sheartail or lucifer hummingbird is a medium-sized, 10 cm long, green hummingbird with a slightly curved bill and distinctive outward flare of its gorget feathers. Its habitat is in high-altitude areas of northern Mexico and southwestern United States. It winters in central Mexico.
The broad-billed hummingbird is a small-sized hummingbird that resides in Mexico and the southwestern United States. Males and females have different features. The juveniles resemble the female adult more than the male adult. The broad-billed hummingbird is a bright coloured bird with a broad and bright red bill. The bird is also known for its other common names – the Colibrí Pico Ancho in Spanish and Colibri circé in French. It is more active during the day and less active during the night.
The horned sungem is a species of hummingbird native to much of central Brazil and parts of Bolivia and Suriname. It prefers open habitats such as savanna and grassland and readily occupies human-created habitats such as gardens. It recently expanded its range into southern Amazonas and Espírito Santo, probably as a result of deforestation; few other hummingbird species have recently expanded their range. The horned sungem is a small hummingbird with a long tail and a comparatively short, black bill. The sexes differ markedly in appearance, with males sporting two feather tufts ("horns") above the eyes that are shiny red, golden, and green. Males also have a shiny blue head crest and a black throat with a pointed "beard". The female is plainer and has a brown or yellow-buff throat. The species is the only one within its genus, Heliactin.
The Chilean woodstar is a Critically Endangered species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is the only species placed in the genus Eulidia. It is endemic to Chile though there are unconfirmed reports from southern Peru. The species' name commemorates the English naturalist William Yarrell.
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The sapphire-throated hummingbird is a shiny metallic-green hummingbird found in Panama, Colombia, and more recently Costa Rica. The sapphire-throated hummingbird is separated into three subspecies; Chrysuronia coeruleogularis coeruleogularis, Chrysuronia coeruleogularis coelina, and Chrysuronia coeruleogularis conifis.
The buffy hummingbird is a species of bird in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Leucippus. This bird lives in dry forest and scrubland in northern South America where it feeds on insects and the nectar, flesh, and juice of cactus fruits.
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