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Bee Hummingbird

From Opus

Mellisuga helenae

Contents

[edit] Identification

At 5cm, the Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world.

Male

  • Green crown
  • Red throat
  • Iridescent gorget, with elongated lateral plumes
  • Bluish upper-parts
  • Greyish white underparts
  • Slender pointed bill

Breeding males have red-pink head, chin and throat
Non breeding males have blue spots to their wingtips
Female

  • Green above
  • Pale grey below
  • White tips to the outer tail feathers<brc/>

While more apt to be mistaken for a bee than a bird because of the size, the bird is not a mimic.

[edit] Distribution

The Bee Hummingbird is endemic to Cuba and Isle of Pines

[edit] Taxonomy

No subspecies are known.[1]

[edit] Habitat

Woodland, shrubbery, and gardens.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes nectar.

[edit] Breeding

The female builds a cupshaped nest from cobwebs, bark,and lichen, lined with soft plant fibres. The 2 bright orange eggs with pink spots are incubated by the female, who also raises the young.

[edit] References

  1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
  2. Wikipedia
  3. Arthur Grosset

[edit] External Links

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