Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae.
Many hummingbirds spend the winter in Central America or Mexico, and migrate north to their breeding grounds in the southern United States as early as February, and to areas further north later in the spring. Hummingbirds fly by day when nectar sources such as flowers are more abundant.
Hummingbird, any of about 320 species of small, often brightly colored birds of the family Trochilidae, usually placed with the swifts in the order Apodiformes but sometimes separated in their own order, Trochiliformes.
Ready to dive into the world of hummingbird identification? Article with illustrations on all 14 species of North American hummingbirds.
All hummingbirds are found exclusively in the Western Hemisphere, from the southern tips of South America to as far north as Alaska. Out of the 366 hummingbird species gracing the Americas, the following species are the most commonly found in the United States: Scientific name: Archilochus colubris.
Hummingbirds belong to the avian family Trochilidae, and their closest relatives are the equally fascinating swifts. Hummingbirds are small (weighing 2 to 20 grams), with long, narrow bills and small, saber-like wings.
Discover fun and surprising hummingbird facts, like what is on the hummingbird diet, if they sing, how far they migrate and how fast they fly.
With some measuring as small as a human thumb, these lightning-fast birds are named after the “humming” sound their wings make as they beat at over 3,000 times a minute. Hummingbirds can fly forwards and backwards, and even hover in mid-air like tiny helicopters.