Hummingbirds – The Only Birds to Fly Backwards!

Did you know that the Hummingbirds are the only group of birds with the ability to fly backwards?

Hummingbirds are among the smallest of birds with most species measuring between 3-5 inches. In fact, the smallest existing bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm (2 inches) Bee Hummingbird

Their name derives from the humming sound made by the very fast beating of their wings.

They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings (12–80 times per second – depending on the species). To conserve energy while they sleep or when food is scarce, they have the ability to go into a hibernation-like state where their metabolic rate is slowed to 1/15th of its normal rate