Hummingbirds are some of the smallest and most fascinating birds in the world. With over 300 different species, hummingbirds come in a huge range of shapes and sizes. But what are the largest and smallest hummingbirds?
What is the largest hummingbird?
The largest hummingbird species is the giant hummingbird. Found in the Andes Mountains of South America, the giant hummingbird can reach lengths of up to 8.6 inches and weigh up to 0.8 ounces. Some key facts about the giant hummingbird include:
- Scientific name: Patagona gigas
- Length: Up to 8.6 inches
- Weight: Up to 0.8 ounces
- Wingspan: Up to 5.9 inches
- Range: Andes Mountains of Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile
The giant hummingbird lives at high elevations in the Andes, usually above 10,000 feet. It prefers open meadows and mountain shrublands. These large hummingbirds have adapted to the cold temperatures and thin air of the high mountains.
Physical characteristics
The giant hummingbird has several distinct physical features including:
- Dark green plumage on its back and crown
- White underparts
- Long, curved black bill
- Forked black tail
- Bright reddish-pink feet
Males and females look similar except the females are larger. Juveniles have buffy colored tips on their plumage.
Behavior and diet
Giant hummingbirds are aggressive and territorial. They use rapid dives and vocalizations to defend flower patches and feeders from intruders. Their long bills allow them to feed on tube-shaped flowers that have adapted to pollination by these large hummingbirds. When flowers are not available, they drink nectar from bromeliads.
Some key facts about giant hummingbird behavior include:
- Aggressive defense of feeding territories
- Rapid diving displays against intruders
- Loud vocalizations to communicate and defend territory
- Preference for tube-shaped flowers
- Nectarivorous; also eat insects for protein
What is the smallest hummingbird?
The smallest hummingbird is the bee hummingbird. Found only on the island of Cuba, it measures just 2 to 2.5 inches long and weighs only 1.8 to 2 grams. For its tiny size, it has several impressive titles including:
- World’s smallest bird
- World’s smallest warm-blooded animal
- One of the world’s tiniest vertebrates
Some key facts about the bee hummingbird include:
- Scientific name: Mellisuga helenae
- Length: 2 to 2.5 inches
- Weight: 1.8 to 2 grams
- Wingspan: 1.5 inches
- Range: Entire island of Cuba
Bee hummingbirds live across the entire island of Cuba in a wide variety of habitats including forests, meadows, and even urban gardens and parks. Despite their small size, they are not at risk of extinction and are listed as a species of Least Concern.
Physical characteristics
Bee hummingbirds share the typical hummingbird traits of small size, a long beak, bright plumage, and hover-feeding. Distinctive physical features include:
- Males have green plumage on the head, throat, back and tail
- Females are pinkish-cinnamon and whitish underneath
- Very short, straight dark bill
- Dark legs covered in feathers
- Swift, buzzing flight
Behavior and diet
Despite their tiny size, bee hummingbirds are aggressive and acrobatic. They can beat their wings up to 80 times per second and are very territorial around feeding grounds. They consume nectar, pollen, and small insects. Some interesting facts about their behavior include:
- The only bird capable of flying backwards
- Extremely territorial; dive-bomb intruders
- Nectarivorous but also eat small insects
- Beat wings 12-80 times per second
- Adapted to a wide variety of habitats
How do the largest and smallest hummingbirds compare?
The giant hummingbird and bee hummingbird represent the extreme ends of the hummingbird size spectrum. Here is a comparison table of the largest and smallest hummingbird species:
| Trait | Giant Hummingbird | Bee Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Up to 8.6 inches | 2 to 2.5 inches |
| Weight | Up to 0.8 ounces | 1.8 to 2 grams |
| Wingspan | Up to 5.9 inches | 1.5 inches |
| Bill length | Very long, curved | Very short, straight |
| Plumage | Green back, white underside | Males green, females tan |
| Range | Andes Mountains | Entire island of Cuba |
| Habitat | High elevation meadows | Wide variety |
| Behaviors | Aggressive, territorial | Aggressive, territorial |
| Diet | Nectar, insects | Nectar, insects |
As you can see, the giant hummingbird dwarfs the tiny bee hummingbird in size. But both species share common hummingbird traits like aggressiveness, hovering flight, and nectar-feeding. Their specialized adaptations allow them to survive and thrive in their respective habitats.
Why are hummingbirds so diverse in size?
There are several evolutionary factors that contribute to the wide range of hummingbird sizes:
Resource availability
There is an abundance of small flowers providing plentiful nectar nutrition for tiny hummingbirds like the bee hummingbird. Larger flowers in the Andes allow the evolution of bigger hummingbirds like the giant.
Climate
The high elevations of the Andes select for larger body size to conserve heat, while the warmth of Cuba permits very small hummingbirds.
Specialized niches
Hummingbirds fill specialized feeding niches based on flower shape and size. Larger hummingbirds can access more nectar from certain flower types. The long bill of the giant hummingbird allows it to feed from long, tubular Andean flowers.
Aerodynamics
Smaller hummingbirds have faster metabolic rates and wing-beat frequencies to hover. As they get larger, they become less efficient at hovering flight. So larger hummingbirds like the giant tend to engage in more perch-feeding.
Metabolism
Smaller hummingbirds need to eat almost constantly to power their supercharged metabolism. This lifestyle is facilitated by abundant tiny flowers. Larger hummingbirds have lower metabolic rates so they can afford to be less constantly active.
The combination of these evolutionary pressures and ecological niches has driven the wide variation in hummingbird sizes over time, giving us the incredible diversity we see today.
How do hummingbird sizes compare to other birds?
Hummingbirds are exceptionally tiny compared to most familiar bird species. To understand their miniature size, it helps to look at how they compare to some common birds:
| Bird | Length | Wingspan |
|---|---|---|
| Ostrich | 6.6 – 9.8 ft | 5.6 – 10 ft |
| Bald eagle | 28 – 40 in | 6.3 – 7.5 ft |
| Pigeon | 11.8 – 13.4 in | 22.2 – 26.8 in |
| Robin | 8.3 – 9.1 in | 12.2 – 13.8 in |
| Giant hummingbird | Up to 8.6 in | Up to 5.9 in |
| Bee hummingbird | 2 – 2.5 in | 1.5 in |
This comparison shows that even the giant hummingbird is still extremely small compared to most birds. The bee hummingbird is absolutely tiny, only a fraction of the size of a robin or pigeon. The evolution of hummingbirds into the smallest warm-blooded vertebrates is an amazing feat of nature.
Conclusion
Exploring the extremes of hummingbird sizes reveals the incredible diversity and specialization of these captivating birds. From the giant hummingbird to the tiny bee hummingbird, evolution has shaped a range of forms exquisitely adapted to different ecological niches. Understanding the smallest and largest hummingbirds provides insight into the biology, ecology, and natural history of hummingbirds more broadly.
