Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds, small, vibrant birds of the family Trochilidae, are native to the Americas, ranging from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, with the highest diversity near the equator. Their size varies from the tiny 5 cm bee hummingbird, weighing less than 2 g, to the largest species at 23 cm and weighing up to 24 g. Known for the humming noise made by their rapidly flapping wings, they can hover in mid-air with wing beats from 12 to 80 times per second and achieve speeds over 54 km/h. Splitting from swifts about 42 million years ago, hummingbirds have a fossil-recorded ancestor in South America 22 million years ago. Hummingbirds feed mainly on nectar but also eat insects and spiders. Remarkably, they possess the highest metabolism relative to their size of any warm-blooded animal and can enter a hibernation-like state called torpor to conserve energy.

Species Categories

Accentors African & New World Parrots Albatrosses Auks Austral Storm Petrels Barn Owls Bee-eaters Bulbuls Buntings Bustards Caracaras, Falcons Cardinals & Allies Chats, Old World Flycatchers Cisticolas & Allies Cockatoos Cormorants, Shags Coursers, Pratincoles Cranes Crows, Jays Cuckoos Ducks, Geese, Swans Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra Finches, Euphonias Flamingos Frigatebirds Gannets, Boobies Goldcrests, Kinglets Grassbirds & Allies Grebes Guineafowl Gulls, Terns, Skimmers Herons, Bitterns Hoopoes Hummingbirds Ibises, Spoonbills Indigobirds, Whydahs Jacanas Kingfishers Kites, Hawks, Eagles Larks Laughingthrushes & Allies Leaf Warblers & Allies Longspurs, Snow Buntings Loons Mockingbirds, Thrashers New World Sparrows New World Vultures New World Warblers Nightjars Northern Storm Petrels Nuthatches Old World Parrots Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches Oropendolas, Orioles, Blackbirds Ospreys Owls Oystercatchers Pelicans Penduline Tits Penguins Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels Pheasants & Allies Pigeons, Doves Plovers Rails, Crakes & Coots Reed Warblers & Allies Rollers Sandgrouse Sandpipers, Snipes Sheathbills Shrikes Skuas Starlings, Rhabdornis Stilts, Avocets Stone-curlews, Thick-knees Storks Swallows, Martins Swifts Sylviid Babblers Tanagers & Allies Thrushes Tits, Chickadees Treecreepers Tropicbirds Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers Wagtails, Pipits Waxbills, Munias & Allies Waxwings Weavers, Widowbirds Woodpeckers Wrens Yellow-breasted Chat

Birda Blog

A passionate photographer is outdoors, equipped with a top-notch camera for bird photography.

14 best cameras for bird photography

August 9, 2022

John White

A woman in a jacket birdwatching out in nature, looking at her phone and considering the best birding app.

11 of the best birdwatching apps in the UK

August 8, 2022

John White

A large flock of Red-necked Stints, a great bird to look for when learning how to start birdwatching.

How to start birdwatching – a helpful guide for beginners

January 18, 2022

John White

People looking at a sunset in a Top 10 Birdwatching Park in the US

The top 10 birdwatching parks in the USA

December 7, 2022

Sarah Cunningham

The Best US States For Birdwatching - map of USA with state names

The best US states for bird watching, a helpful illustrated guide

January 17, 2022

John White

Three people walking in nature in a highland, birdwatching and using one of the best free birdwatching apps

What are the best free birdwatching apps?

March 28, 2023

Will Hall

Children are outdoors, enthusiastically observing and admiring birds in their natural habitat.

12 of the best birdwatching apps in the USA

February 9, 2023

Sarah Cunningham

8x vs 10 x binoculars - person holding their pair in hand

Binoculars for birdwatching 8x vs 10x magnification

What Our Birders Say

Pdydhdrexgi

Fantastic App

This is a really lovely app, for everyone interested in birds - from newbies to old hands. There is a very friendly feel to the community and you will genuinely learn a lot as you record your sightings and photos. There are lots of badges and competitions to keep you engaged, and a host of really useful features.

Talli A

My favourite app

As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁

Carl B

Helped me to identify more birds

Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.

Abi.M

Awesome App

I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍

EandB17

Terrific App for Birders

Downloaded Birda around the time my interest in birding was sparked, and it has been a terrific app to help me (1) share my experience, (2) document my sightings, and (3) learn more about birds in general. That said, I also believe Birda is a fantastic app for birders of all experience levels. Great community!

Mike T

Sense of Community

A great app, which is continually being improved. What really comes through is the passion of those behind the app. The sense of community is brilliant, so much help and support provided to new and/or in experienced birders.

Jake W

Great app

I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!

BCHphotography_

Such a great app!

I didn’t think I could enjoy birding more but this app makes it so much better. Some great features and a really great way to share your sightings with your friends or fellow birders nearby or around the world! ❤️

Emcil24

A Friendly Place

I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.

Alex J

Friendly and helps to identify birds

Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.

As featured in