Bee Hummingbird

Overview

The Bee Hummingbird, found only on Cuba and some of its surrounding islands, is the smallest bird species in the world, with adults weighing only a few grams. Its extremely small size, combined with fast, buzzing wingbeats, gives it a superficial resemblance to a large insect, hence the common name.

Breeding males develop an intensely iridescent, fiery pink-red plumage covering the head and throat, with elongated feathers along the sides of the throat that can appear to flare outward, while upperparts remain a glossy bluish-green.

Feather ID Notes

Breeding male feathers on the crown and throat show an intense, fiery pink-red iridescence, with some throat feathers elongated into small tufts or streamers along the sides. Outside the breeding season, males can show a duller, more mixed throat color as new feathers grow in. Upperpart feathers remain bluish-green year-round.

• Crown/throat feathers (breeding male): fiery pink-red, iridescent, some elongated
• Upperpart feathers: bluish-green, glossy
• Underparts: grayish-white
• Overall size: exceptionally tiny, among the smallest feathers of any bird species The extremely small overall size combined with the male's fiery throat color is unique among hummingbirds and not shared with any other species in its native range.

Plumage Details

Breeding males show the vivid pink-red head and throat described above; outside the breeding period, male throat color can appear patchier or duller as fresh feathers replace worn ones. Females lack the colorful throat, showing white underparts, greenish upperparts, and white-tipped outer tail feathers. Juveniles resemble females. The species undergoes an annual molt, with breeding-plumage males looking most vivid during the courtship period.

Habitat & Range

The Bee Hummingbird is endemic to Cuba and a few adjacent islets, inhabiting forest edge, scrubby woodland, gardens, and swampy thickets with abundant flowering plants. It does not migrate, remaining resident within its limited island range year-round.

Behavior & Field Notes

Bee Hummingbirds feed on nectar from a wide variety of small flowers, using their tiny size and rapid wingbeats to hover with great precision, and they also take small insects and spiders for additional protein. Males perform courtship displays involving fast, looping flights to show off their throat color. Nests are exceptionally small cups built from plant fibers and spider silk, camouflaged with lichen. Calls are high-pitched, thin chips, often hard to distinguish from ambient insect sounds.