Mellisuga helenae
The Bee Hummingbird (*Mellisuga helenae*) stands as the avian world's undisputed monarch of miniaturization, holding the record as the smallest bird on Earth. Measuring a mere 5-6 cm (2-2.4 inches) in length and weighing just 1.6-2.5 grams (0.056-0.088 ounces), it is lighter than a U.S. penny. Males are instantly recognizable by their spectacular, fiery iridescent gorget and crown, ranging from iridescent orange-red to pink, contrasting sharply with their metallic blue upperparts and greyish-...
Primarily found in dense forests, humid forest edges, coastal lowlands, and shaded gardens across Cuba, favoring areas with abundant flowering plants at low to moderate elevations.
Feeds predominantly on nectar from a wide variety of small, tubular flowers, supplemented by small insects and spiders captured mid-flight or gleaned from foliage.
Bee Hummingbirds are strictly diurnal, requiring constant feeding during daylight hours to sustain their extraordinarily high metabolic rate, often entering torpor at night. They forage by deftly hovering before flowers, extending their long tongues to extract nectar, and also by hawking tiny ins...
The Bee Hummingbird is strictly endemic to Cuba and the adjacent Isla de la Juventud, not occurring naturally anywhere else in the world. Within Cuba, its distribution is somewhat patchy but widespread across both the main island and Isla de la Juventud, with strongholds in central and western pr...
Near Threatened
- The Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world, weighing less than a U.S. penny (1.6-2.5 grams). - Its heart beats up to an astonishing 1,260 times per minute, while its tiny lungs breathe 250 times per minute, even at rest. - During hovering flight, its wings can beat 80 times per secon...