The hummingbird is also a fast mover, being clocked at 71 miles per hour. Migratory species can also cover tremendous distances. The ruby throated hummingbird, for example, will travel some 2,000 miles to it s winter quarters. North American Ruby Throated birds take a trip across the Gulf of Mexico during this hiatus, and they make this 500 mile trek in one non-stop flight. They have the ability to store fuel fat up to half their normal weight before this marathon journey.
Hummingbirds have an incredible energy output and their food of choice is in the form of sugars.
In fact, they consume half their weight in sugar every day. To achieve this, they can be seen flitting around from one flower to the next feeding every 10 to 15 minutes. Insects and small spiders provide the bird with protein. There are 319 varieties of hummingbird and they all live on the American continents. The smallest is the bee hummingbird of Cuba, which is only 2 inches in length and the largest is the Patagona Gigas of North America, which reaches 5 or 6 inches in length.