Bee hummingbird

벌새

The smallest bird in the world, about 6 cm long and roughly 2 g. The male has a red head and throat and a blue back. It lives only in Cuba and beats its wings dozens of times a second while feeding on nectar.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Birds
Lives in: Cuba (swamps and woodland)
Diet: Eats both plants and meat (omnivore)
Weight: about 0.002 kg
Length: about 0.055 m
Top speed: about 48 km/h
Lifespan: up to about 7 years
Conservation status: Near Threatened (IUCN NT)
Habitat: forests

Quick answers

Where does the Bee hummingbird live?

It lives in forests. On the globe you can find it near Cuba (swamps and woodland).

How big is the Bee hummingbird?

It grows to about 0.055 m and 0.002 kg.

What does the Bee hummingbird eat?

Its diet: eats both plants and meat (omnivore).

How fast is the Bee hummingbird?

It can reach about 48 km/h.

How long does the Bee hummingbird live?

It can live up to about 7 years.

Is the Bee hummingbird endangered?

It is listed as Near Threatened (IUCN NT).

The bee hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world. It lives only on the island of Cuba in the Caribbean, where it darts around forests, swamps and gardens. A grown-up is just 5 to 6 centimetres long and weighs only about two grams, so small that it is sometimes mistaken for a bee.

Males have a bright red-pink head and throat and bluish upper parts, while females are bluish green with a pale grey underside. Because birds are living dinosaurs, this tiny bird has even been called the smallest known dinosaur. Its Spanish nickname is zunzuncito, and it is also known as the Helena hummingbird. Despite its tiny size, it is a swift and strong flier.

What does it eat?

The bee hummingbird drinks flower nectar by flicking its tongue rapidly in and out, and it also catches insects. As it feeds, pollen sticks to its bill and head and is carried to the next flower, so it helps plants make seeds. In a single day it may visit around 1,500 flowers. Its slender, pointed bill is made for probing deep into flowers, and its iridescent feathers change colour depending on the viewing angle.

Flying and family life

This bird beats its wings 80 to 200 times every second, which lets it hover in front of a flower, and it can fly at about 40 to 48 kilometres per hour. The female lays just two eggs at a time, each about the size of a coffee bean. In the wild a bee hummingbird lives up to about seven years, and in captivity up to ten. Compared with other small hummingbirds, which often look slender, the bee hummingbird looks rounded and plump.

Fun facts

Found only in Cuba, it is so small that it is sometimes mistaken for a bee.
Females are a little bigger than males: about 2.6 grams against about 1.95 grams.
Its eggs are about as big as a coffee bean.
A bee hummingbird can beat its wings up to 200 times in one second.