05/09/2026
Happy (USA) National Hummingbird Day!
Hummingbirds are incredible creatures, and one of our favourite rehabs. Here's a few things you might not know about them:
Nectar isn't their only food. They also eat tiny insects and spiders, which provide essential protein, especially for growing chicks.
They are the only bird that can fly backwards. Their remarkable wing movements allow them to hover, change direction, and even reverse through the air.
They are important pollinators. As they move from flower to flower, they help plants reproduce.
Some hummingbird species migrate thousands of miles:
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds travel between North America and Central America, sometimes crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a non-stop flight of around 500 miles.
Rufous Hummingbirds can travel nearly 4,000 miles between Alaska and Mexico - one of the longest migrations in the world relative to body size. Imagine making those journeys weighing less than a teaspoon of sugar!
Tiny birds with a extraordinary lives!
📸This rufous-tailed hummingbird came to BBR as an orphan, was raised by our team, and returned to the wild earlier this year.
