hummingbird

ハチドリ
蜂鳥

Belonging to the Trochilidae family with over 350 species, they are the smallest birds in the world and renowned for their ability to hover in place and even fly backwards.

Hummingbirds are native to the Americas. They are famous for drinking flower nectar, but also eat a variety of insects for nutrition. Hummingbird feeders must be cleaned regularly (2x week in warm weather) to prevent the growth of a toxic mold which kills the birds.

The Aztec god of war Huitzilopochtli is often depicted as a hummingbird. In Aztec legend, fallen warriors would return to earth as hummingbirds and butterflies.

Not to be confused with kingfishers.

Examples

Broad-tailed hummingbird

Non-examples

See also

External links

This tag implicates bird (learn more).

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