Bee Hummingbird
Mellisuga helenae
This tiny nectar sipper is the world’s smallest bird. It feeds on woodland flowers, especially those that are more horizontally positioned. Males often found perched on high exposed branches. The male is stunning with an iridescent red head and turquoise upperparts. The female is also turquoise above, but is dingy below. This species is readily identifiable by its tiny size and relatively short bill. In flight, this species’ wings make a sound resembling that of a bumblebee, hence its name. The most common vocalization is an extended, high-pitched, jumbled twitter.
Identification
The bee hummingbird is the smallest living bird. Females weigh 2.6 g (0.092 oz) and are .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}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). Like all hummingbirds, it is a swift, strong flier.<p>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. Compared to other small hummingbirds, which often have a slender appearance, the bee hummingbird looks rounded and plump.<p>Female bee hummingbirds are bluish green with a pale gray underside. 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.<p>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. 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.<p>The bee hummingbird has also been described as "the smallest dinosaur". This characterization is based upon the recognition that birds are, in fact, a living form of dinosaurs (or, strictly speaking, avian dinosaurs), and no smaller bird or non-avian dinosaur has been found in the fossil record.<p>The call is described as “high pitched, jumbled twitter”. Within their territory a male will often sing atop the highest tree.
Taxonomy
The closest evolutionary relative of the bee hummingbird is the vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima), the only other member of its genus. The habitats of the vervain hummingbird are in Cuba's neighboring islands, Hispaniola and Jamaica.
- Scientific name
- Mellisuga helenae
- Authority
- (Lembeye, 1850)
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Mellisuga
Range and habitat
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. In these regions bee hummingbirds generally live in areas of thick growth that contain lianas and epiphytes. Its population is fragmented; it is found in Cuba's mogote areas in Pinar del Río Province 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).
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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