Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are small,colorful birds with iridescent feathers.Their name comes from the fact that they flap their wings  so fast (about 80 times per second)that they make a humming noise.Hummingbirds can fly right,left,up,down,backwards,and even upside down.They are also  able to hover  by flapping their wings in a figure -8 pattern.They have a  specialized long and tapered bill that is used to obtain nectar from the center of long,tubular flowers.The Hummingbirds feet are used for perching only,and are not used for hopping or walking.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Hummingbirds primarily eat flower nectar ,tree sap,insects and pollen.The hummingbirds fast breathing rate,fast   heartbeat and high body temperature require that they eat often.They also require an enormous amount of food each day.Hummingbirds have a long tongue which they use to lick their food at a rate of up to 13 licks per second

                                                                                                                                                                    Hummingbirds are found only in the Western Hemisphere ,from Southeastern Alaska to southern Chile ,although most live in the tropics.There are more than 300 species of hummingbirds,12 of which summer in North America and winter in tropical areas.