Often brightly coloured, hummingbirds are fascinating and beautiful birds, learn more about hummingbirds in our expert guide, including how fast they beat their wings and where to see in the wild.
The world’s smallest migrating bird, catching sight of a tiny colourful hummingbird is an incredible wildlife spectacle
Named after the humming noise their wings make in flight, the hummingbird is the only bird species which can fly backwards which comes in handy when feeding on the nectar of plants and insects.
There also used to be another two species of hummingbird that have gone extinct since they were first discovered in the 19th century. Hummingbirds are their own family, known as Trochilidae.
All hummingbird species can be found in the Americas. Of the remaining hummingbird species, only eight regularly breed in the United States
The hummingbird family name, Trochilidae, derives from the Greek word that Aristotle used for a small bird
Even that little creature, a feathery ball that tips the scales at 8–12g, looks like a hunk in this company.