- Males perform elaborate aerial displays to attract females.
- Their nests, often the size of a half-dollar coin, are built with spider silk and plant material to expand as the chicks grow.
- A mother typically lays only two eggs at a time, each about the size of a coffee bean.
- They have no sense of smell, which is unusual for such vibrant floral visitors.
- Their vision is highly acute, assisting them in avoiding collisions during high-speed flight.
- A typical lifespan is 3 to 5 years, but some have been known to live over a decade in the wild.
- Their feathers create the illusion of changing colors due to refraction and not pigmentation.
- Aerodynamically, their hovering ability is more similar to that of insects than to that of other birds.
- Their energy needs are so high that they can consume up to eight times their body weight in water a day.
- Their muscle-to-body mass ratio is the highest of all birds.
- Even in chilly weather, they can maintain a body temperature of around 40°C to stay warm.
- Their rapid wing beats are nearly inaudible to humans.
- They are known to crossbreed occasionally, which results in hybrids with mixed physical traits.
- Feathers make up to 30% of their body weight.
- Male hummingbirds have more vibrant feather colors than females, a trait used to attract mates.
