Life of a Bumblebee Hummingbird

Bumblebee hummingbirds are also called bee hummingbirds and at just over 1 inch long, they are the smallest birds in the world. Like other hummingbirds, they subsist primarily on sugar from the nectar of flowers, and they play an important part in pollinating flowers.

Geography

There are large populations of bumblebee hummingbirds in Cuba and the Isle of Pines. Smaller numbers live in Haiti and Jamaica, and they have also occasionally been sighted in the United States, in Arizona. They live in wooded areas and in any places where there are many plants.

Food

Bumblebee hummingbirds spend almost all their time consuming enough food to power their swift flight. Their diet is primarily made up of nectar, but they will also eat insects that they pluck out of the air. They need to eat about half of their body weight every day, and they drink about eight times their body weight in water on a daily basis.

Mating

The male bumblebee hummingbirds are more colorful than the females, and they form singing groups known as leks during the breeding season to attract females. A female will visit several leks and choose a mate based on his performance. The birds breed during the end of the wet season, when there are many trees and shrubs in flower. Mating can occur on a perch or in midair.

Nesting

The bumblebee hummingbird creates a cup-shaped nest made of moss, plant down, spiderwebs, lichen and bark fiber. The nest is built between 3 and 20 feet from the ground and the female hummingbird incubates her two white eggs for 15 or 16 days. The female is solely responsible for the young.

Time Frame

According to the Animal Diversity Web, bumblebee hummingbirds can live up to seven years in the wild and 10 years in captivity.

Threats

In the wild, bumblebee hummingbirds are threatened by birds of prey, frogs, fish and tropical spiders. They also suffer from the loss of their habitat due to deforestation.

References

• Animal Diversity Web: Mellisuga helenae
• Hummingbird Facts: Bumblebee Hummingbird
• How to Enjoy Hummingbirds: Bee Hummingbird