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Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species

Local animals in this group:

hummingbirds

Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are some of the smallest birds on the planet. Some are as small as 2 grams (about the weight of a dime)! Hummingbirds drink nectar from flowers and are known for their rapid, hovering flight and extremely fast metabolism. Their wings beat between 10 and 80 times per second, depending on the size of the bird, and their hearts beat between 500 and 1000 times per minute. Hummingbird males are often brilliantly colored with iridescent feathers, making them look like flying jewels. All 328 species of hummingbirds are found in North and South America, with most being found in tropical areas.

 
University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyNational Science Foundation

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. "Trochilidae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 19, 2024 at http://www.biokids.umich.edu/accounts/Trochilidae/

BioKIDS is sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative. It is a partnership of the University of Michigan School of Education, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, and the Detroit Public Schools. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL-0628151.
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