The bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) is a species endemic to Cuba and is the smallest bird in the world, with a length of only 5 to 6 centimeters and a weight of approximately 1.6 to 2 grams, with the male being even smaller than the female and considered the smallest warm-blooded vertebrate in the world. Its name comes from the onomatopoeia of the humming sound its wings make in flight, and it feeds mainly on flower nectar, supplementing its diet with small insects; its tongue is long and thin, adapted to go into the corollas and suck up the nectar.
Regarding its physiology and behavior, the bee hummingbird beats its wings approximately 80 times per second during flight (up to 200 times during courtship), which allows it to hover in the air to sip nectar. Its body temperature of 40°C is the highest among birds, but it drops to about 19°C at night to save energy. Its metabolic rate is extremely high: it consumes half its weight in food daily and drinks up to 8 times its weight in water. The nest, built only by the female, is only about 3 centimeters in diameter, and she lays 2 eggs that are incubated for approximately 3 weeks, leaving the nest at around 18 days of age.
The bee hummingbird's distribution is fragmented, found mainly in forests, scrublands, and gardens of Cuba and the Isle of Youth, preferring the edges of mature forests with abundant lianas and epiphytes. The IUCN classifies it as "Near Threatened," with an estimated population of 22,000 to 66,000 individuals, and climate models predict it could lose between 75% and 90% of its suitable habitat by 2050-2070, which represents a serious threat to its survival.
Amazing nature indeed.