Can you imagine a bird no larger than your thumb? Needless to say, this teeny chap is the smallest bird in the world. He is the bee hummingbird, and he weighs less than a U.S. penny.
The jewel-like avian is only found in the Cuban archipelago, where it spends its days zipping around forests and gardens. And zip it does, for the fairy-like bird is also quick as a wink. Flapping its wings 80 times a second—almost 5,000 beats per minute—it darts from bush to vine, feasting on flowers and insects to fuel its hyperactivity.
In fact, the hungry little fella eats half of its body weight in food every day and is able to visit 1,500 flowers a day to quench its thirst. Sugar-rich flower water gives vital energy, and insects provide protein. Capable of flying for up to 20 hours without a break, they certainly need the calories.
A male Cuban bee hummingbird feeds from a flowering branch. Sergey Uryadnikov/Shutterstock
A bee hummingbird drinks nectar from a flower held in a person's hand near Playa Larga, Cuba. James Bloor Griffiths/Shutterstock
A male bee hummingbird perched on a branch. Lev Frid/Shutterstock
During a courtship sortie, their wing beats increase up to 200 times per second, the same as the ruby-throated hummingbird; that’s faster than all other birds on the planet. Often mistaken for large bumblebees, they weigh less than 0.07 ounces.
Not only does the bee hummingbird possess ridiculous powers of speed and flight, but it also looks regal. Seen up close, the male’s head and throat are a vivid metallic red, with fiery ruby feathers adorning the sides of the breast and a turquoise back. As for the female, she boasts a shining aquamarine body with a delicate gray underside.
Everything about this charming hummer is in miniature. When a female gets to work building a nest, it measures less than an inch across—the size of a dime—and she then lays an egg the size of a coffee bean.
A green bee hummingbird on a twig. Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock
The nest of the Cuban bee hummingbird. Danita Delimont/Shutterstock
A green bee hummingbird dips its beak into a pink flower blossom. Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock
Hummingbird-loving content creator Hummingbird Spot visited Cuba’s Zapata Peninsula where they were able to watch bee hummingbirds feeding in a private garden.
“This spectacular hummingbird is known as zunzuncito on the island because ‘zun-zun’ is the sound made by its wings,” reported member and photographer Carole Turek.
“The bee hummingbird took my breath away,” she said. “The male bee hummingbird measures in at a mere 2.2 inches, or 6 centimeters. The female is slightly bigger than the male.
A bee hummingbird in flight. Wang LiQiang/Shutterstock
A bee hummingbird in Palpite, Cuba. Gergo Nagy/Shutterstock
A male bee hummingbird sits perched in Playa Larga, Cuba. Piotr Poznan/Shutterstock
“The best place to see them is the Zapata Peninsula reserve, or nearby Playa Larga on the Bay of Pigs.”
Responding to Turek’s YouTube video charting her adventure, viewers marveled at the precious little birds.
“The colors are spectacular and out of this world,” wrote one. “It’s like looking through a Kaleidoscope.”
Another commented, “The fact that such a tiny bird can survive the massive storms and hurricanes there is just purely incredible.”
A bee hummingbird with jewel-like metallic-red feathers sits perched on a branch. Lev Frid/Shutterstock
Bee hummingbirds such as this one are so small they have been mistaken for the insect of their namesake. Wang LiQiang/Shutterstock
A Cuban bee hummingbird hunts for nectar from a blossom on the Zapata Peninsula, Cuba. Sergey Uryadnikov/Shutterstock
The adorable hummers may look as cute as a button, but don’t be fooled. While bee hummingbirds with their plump, round bodies do make juicy meals for predators such as tropical spiders and frogs, they have a feisty nature. Very territorial in their feeding zones, they aggressively chase off intruders. As with all types of hummingbirds, they are fantastic fliers and can take off any which way they please, including backward and upside down.
Extremely spirited to listen to, these teeny aerial acrobats communicate with each other using squeaking and twittering sounds. And when zooming from snack to snack, they make a sweet buzzing noise almost like a bumblebee.
Anna Mason is a writer based in England. She majored in literature and specializes in human interest, travel, lifestyle and content marketing. Anna enjoys storytelling, adventures, the Balearic sunshine and the Yorkshire rain.
