Ruby-throated hummingbird...

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD

Ruby-throated hummingbird

This pint-sized migrator weighs slightly less than a 5 pence piece.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds travel 5,600 km between the eastern US and Central America. Some cross the Gulf of Mexico - that’s over 800 km in just a few hours…!

These exquisite little birds are constantly on the edge of starvation because they have such a fast metabolism. During migration, their hearts beat 1,260 times a minute and wings flap 15 - 80 times a second. They need to eat every 15 minutes to survive.

So they seriously bulk-up before making their gigantic journey and gain 25-40% of their body weight.

#ecokidsplanetmagazine

#rubythroatedhummingbird