- Why are hummingbirds called "hummingbirds"?
- Because their wings make a humming sound. Their wings beat up to 75 times
per second in normal flight, up to 200 times per second in courtship.
- How big are they, and how much do they weigh?
- Generally 3 to 4 inches long, with a 4 to 4-1/2 inch wingspan. Females
are larger because of their need to produce eggs, share body warmth with
their eggs, and share food with their hatchlings.
- How can they hover in one place?
- Normally, birds flap their wings to produce upward lift and forward thrust.
Hummers can flap their wings backwards, producing downward push and backward thrust,
thereby maintaining a fixed position.
- Can they communicate?
- They "chitter" and make other sounds to one another; they also fly aggressively
at one another to ward off competition.
- What is their life span?
- Most die in less than one year, but the longest measured life span of a
ruby throated hummingbird is almost 7 years, and a rufous hummingbird over 8 years.
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