Hummingbirds

The smallest birds

Hummingbirds beat their wings up to 80 times a second and can hover, fly backward, and cross a gulf on a gram of fat. They're physics with feathers.

What to look for

wings      80 beats/sec — a blur, not a flap
color      iridescent, shifts with light
feed       sugar water and tubular blooms
best seen  feeders, gardens, migration

Quick marks

Males flash a ruby throat. Females are green and gray. They arrive with the first blooms and leave before the first frost.