The smallest bird in the world: how the bee hummingbird looks like

The Cuban bee hummingbird, also known as Mellisuga helenae, is not only the world’s smallest bird but also the world’s smallest animal with a body temperature above freezing. The length of the male, from beak to tail, is only 5 centimeters, and he weighs approximately the same as two paper clips.

The females are slightly larger than the males, but they appear to be quite small compared to other beetles and butterflies. In addition, contrary to what one might expect based on the name of the bird, this hummingbird is just somewhat larger than a bee.

The world’s tiniest bird, the bee hummingbird, is also one of the planet’s most powerful and agile creatures. The bee hummingbird can beat her wings at a rate of eighty times every single second. The bee hummingbird has iridescent and sparkling feathers, giving it the appearance of a small jewel. However, the bird’s multicolored feathers are not always visible; rather, it depends on the perspective from which a person observes the creature.

When a bee hummingbird uses its long, narrow mouth to sip nectar from a bloom, it inadvertently catches pollen on its feathers and then transmits it to another blossom. As a result, this itty-bitty bird plays a significant part in the process of plant reproduction. A single day in the life of a bee hummingbird sees it through to approximately 1500 flower visits. It’s interesting to note that bee hummingbirds build cup-shaped nests with a maximum diameter of 2.5 centimeters. They are constructed using spider webs, tree bark, and lichens. And in this particular nest, the hummingbird will deposit two eggs around the size of a pea.