The Humble Hummingbird's Mammoth Journey

Among world’s tiny flyers, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird holds a record for endurance.

Typically weighing only about 3 grams (equal to the weight of two nickels), these birds make an annual migration, from North America to Central America, covering a distance of more than 480 km non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico on their journey to their winter residence.

The energy these birds expend during this long migration is phenomenal; considering their size, relative to a human, the energy used would equal approximately 75,000 calories.

That’s equivalent to a human running 24 hours straight at about 15 kmph and burning 80 times the runner's weight in calories! This remarkable feat is achieved by storing up a layer of fat to fuel their migratory flight.

The hummingbird is truly nature's embodiment of the phrase 'big things come in small packages'..