- Mellisuga helenae
Identification
At 5cm, the Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world.
Male - green throat, iridescent gorget, 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. While more apt to be mistaken for a bee than a bird because of the size, the bird is not a mimic.
Distribution
The Bee Hummingbird is endemic to Cuba.
Taxonomy
No subspecies are known.
Habitat
Woodland, shrubbery, and gardens.
Behaviour
The diet includes nectar.
The female builds a cupshaped nest from cobwebs, bark,and lichen, lined with soft plant fibres. 2 bright orange with pink spots eggs are laid. The female incubates the eggs and raises the young.
