Cuban hummingbird bee - a miniature miracle of nature

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Cuban hummingbird bee (Mellisuga helenae) - is the smallest bird on the planet, a real gem of Cuba. It weighs less than a coin and is the size of a large bee. This bright, incredibly fast and graceful bird is one of the symbols of the Caribbean island nature.

General classification 📘

The Kingdom: Animals (Animalia)

Type: Chordal (Chordata)

Class: Birds (Aves)

Row: Drimlyugov (Apodiformes)

Family: Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

Gender: Mellisuga

View: Mellisuga helenae

Appearance 🐦✨

Body length: males - about 5.5 cm, females - up to 6.1 cm

Weight: males - 1.6-1.9 g, females - up to 2.6 g

Color scheme: males - bright blue head and neck with metallic shine, green back, white abdomen; females - less bright

Beak: long, straight, thin - perfectly adapted for collecting nectar

Wings: narrow, fast - up to 80 strokes per second!

Tail: in males - pointed, with two elongated feathers

Range and habitat 🌴

Distribution: exclusively in Cuba, especially in the west of the island and Isla de la Juventud

Wednesday: tropical forests, shrubs, plantations, gardens

Choosing the environment: likes places with lots of flowers and nectar

Behavior 🧠

Lifestyle: daytime, very active

Flight: fast, maneuverable, with the ability to hover in the air

Communication: makes squeaking sounds, also uses wing movements

Temperature control: at night, it goes into a state of torpor (lowering body temperature for energy saving)

Nutrition 🌸🍯

Type: nectarivorous, sometimes insectivorous

Basic diet: flower nectar, small insects, spiders

Metabolic rate: the highest among birds - the heart beats up to 1200 times per minute

Number of meals: up to 1,500 flowers per day!

Role in nature: important pollinator of tropical plants

Reproduction 🐣

Mating season: from March to June

Nesting: male performs a mating "dance" in the air

Nest: tiny (2.5 cm in diameter), made of cobwebs, lichens and moss

Masonry: 2 pea-sized eggs

Incubation: lasts 14-23 days

Feeding chicks: exclusively female, up to 3 weeks after hatching

Life expectancy ⏳

In the wild: 5-7 years old

In captivity: rarely lives longer due to extremely sensitive physiology

Main threats: predators (lizards, snakes), habitat loss, climate change

Security status 🛡️

IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Security measures: nature reserves, prohibition of destruction of natural habitats

Population: stable but vulnerable to environmental changes

Interesting facts 🤓

- ✅ It is the smallest bird in the world - even smaller than some butterflies!

- ✅ He cannot walk - his legs are too weak to walk

- ✅ The weight of a hummingbird bee is less than a sugar cube

- ✅ One flight lasts on average only a few seconds - then you need to rest

- ✅ Can fly backwards - one of the few birds with this ability

- ✅ His heart is 2.5% by body weight - extraordinary performance

Conclusion ✅

Cuban hummingbird bee - This is an example of how incredible beauty and grace can be contained in a body the size of a large bumblebee 🐝✨ Its vigor, speed and role in pollination make it indispensable in Cuba's nature. This bird is a small symbol of a large ecosystem that we must protect 🐦🌺🌴

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