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

African & New World Parrots Albatrosses Anhingas, Darters Antbirds Antpittas Antthrushes Auks Austral Storm Petrels Barn Owls Black-capped Donacobius Bushtits Caracaras, Falcons Cardinals & Allies Chachalacas, Curassows, Guans Chats, Old World Flycatchers Cormorants, Shags Cotingas Cranes Crows, Jays Cuckoos Dippers Ducks, Geese, Swans Finches, Euphonias Finfoots Flamingos Frigatebirds Gannets, Boobies Gnatcatchers Gnateaters Goldcrests, Kinglets Grebes Gulls, Terns, Skimmers Herons, Bitterns Hummingbirds Ibises, Spoonbills Jacamars Jacanas Kingfishers Kites, Hawks, Eagles Larks Leaf Warblers & Allies Limpkin Longspurs, Snow Buntings Loons Manakins Mitrospingid Tanagers Mockingbirds, Thrashers Motmots New World Barbets New World Quail New World Sparrows New World Vultures New World Warblers Nightjars Northern Storm Petrels Nuthatches Oilbird Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches Olive Warbler Oropendolas, Orioles, Blackbirds Ospreys Ovenbirds Owls Oystercatchers Parrotbills & Allies Pelicans Penduline Tits Penguins Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels Pheasants & Allies Pigeons, Doves Plovers Potoos Puffbirds Rails, Crakes & Coots Sandpipers, Snipes Sapayoa Shrikes Silky-flycatchers Skuas Spindalises Starlings, Rhabdornis Stilts, Avocets Stone-curlews, Thick-knees Storks Sunbittern Swallows, Martins Swifts Tanagers & Allies Tapaculos Thrushes Thrush-tanager Tinamous Tits, Chickadees Tityras, Becards, Sharpbill Toucan Barbets Toucans Treecreepers Trogons Tropicbirds Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers Wagtails, Pipits Waxbills, Munias & Allies Waxwings Woodpeckers Wrens Wrenthrush 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

Jane N

A great app

Enjoying it immensely and finding it useful too. Recording the different birds and counting them is showing me how the present climate is affecting them all. I've trebled the numbers by planting native hedging. A great app.

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.

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!

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.

D3Nature

Great app for learning Birds

I’ve been using the app for a couple of months and love it....Someone said it’s like a real life Pokémon Go for birds. They’re not far off! It’s something that the family can do that gets you out and about. Well worth downloading no matter your age.

JCBirding

Just what birding needs

We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you aren’t on it, why not??

SW H

Wonderful App

Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.

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! ❤️

SuperOliviaGirl

Really great app

It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.

Nicole

Gets me outdoors more

I'm still loving this app. I use it most days & gets me outdoors more. Enjoying watching others progress and photo's, it's improved my wellbeing.... I love this app! I can keep a record of sightings and see what others have seen too.

As featured in