The Bee-Hummingbird is the smallest species of bird in the world.

Hummingbirds are the world’s smallest birds. Bee hummingbirds are native to the Cuban archipelago, including Cuba and Isla de la Juventud in the West Indies.

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The bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), sometimes called Zunzuncito or Helena hummingbird, is the world’s tiniest living bird, barely a little bigger than a bumblebee. They’re often mistaken for bees or other insects. Due to their size, they have fewer feathers than any other bird.

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Female bee hummingbirds measure 6.1 cm from beak to tail and weigh 2.6 g, whereas males measure 5.5 cm and weigh 1.95 g. Both men and females are fat, but their color and patterns vary.

From March through June, the male grows a crimson throat and head to attract (less colorful) females. Grayish white underparts, bluish upperparts, iridescent gorget with long lateral plumes.

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Blue-green females have a pale gray underside. Their tail feathers are spotted. Non-breeding juvenile males might be hard to distinguish apart from females. Check the female’s tail tips for white patches. The plumage’s iridescence varies on incident light and viewing angle.

Bee hummingbirds are solitary, but during mating season, the males form small singing groups that females visit to choose a partner. Males can attract a female’s attention in other ways besides their colors and voices.

Each performs aerial shows, including tail-flapping dives. Then, the woman chooses her favorite man.

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The female bee hummingbird creates her cobwebs, tree bark, lichen, and plant fibers—the cup-shaped nest measures around 1 in (2.5 cm). The female produces one or two white eggs the size of a coffee bean or quarter and incubates them for 14 to 23 days—the mother chicks for 18 days after hatching. Chicks fledge 18 to 38 days after hatching and achieve reproductive maturity in one year. Nestlings practice flying for 4 to 5 days. Bee hummingbirds can survive seven years in the wild.

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Bee hummingbirds have narrow, pointed bills for investigating flowers. It feeds on nectar from horizontal forest flowers. It provides while floating above the flower. Bee hummingbirds can visit 1500 blooms per day. The bird collects pollen on its bill and head while feeding. When a hummingbird flits between flowers, pollen is transported. It eats insects and spiders occasionally. Bee hummingbirds spend 15% of their time eating and devour half their body weight daily.

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Bee hummingbirds are restless. They can fly for 20 hours nonstop, more than any other species. In flight, they beat their tiny wings up to 80 times a second, reaching speeds of 25–30 mph, which allows them to feed on flowers while stationary in the air. Males can beat their wings 200 times per second during wooing.

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