THE ANIMAL FILES

Bee hummingbird

Mellisuga helenae

A tiny bird can move pollen while drinking nectar.

Bee hummingbirds are small Cuban birds with angle-dependent iridescent plumage. Nectar feeding brings the head and bill into contact with flowers, while insects and spiders add other food. Females construct small cup nests and care for the young.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Bee hummingbird
Image: Charles J. Sharp · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Range
Cuban archipelago[1]
Main food
Flower nectar, with small arthropods[1]
Nest builder
Female[1]

Colour that depends on the angle

Iridescent feathers do not look equally bright from every direction. Male throat colours can be striking in the right light, while females have a different blue-green and pale pattern. A photograph’s lighting and viewpoint therefore affect what is recorded, even without a change in the bird’s feathers.[1]

A drink that transfers pollen

The slender bill probes flowers while the tongue rapidly takes nectar. Pollen can attach to the bill and head, then reach another flower during the next visit. This provides a plant-reproduction service without implying that the bird consciously intends to pollinate. Occasional arthropod food means nectar is not its entire diet.[1]

A cup tied together

Females combine cobweb strands, bark and lichen, with soft plant material lining the cup. The female incubates and feeds young. Spider silk binds the gathered material while soft fibres line the space occupied by eggs and chicks.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Does nectar supply every item this hummingbird eats?

No. Insects and spiders are also recorded foods.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

How can a bird help a flower while pursuing its own meal?

Reveal the explanation

Pollen adhering during nectar feeding can be delivered to another flower on a later visit.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Mellisuga helenae (adapted and translated; exact revision)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Mellisuga helenae (identity and game lineage)

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

Common swiftA nest made with materials caught in mid-air.Apus apus ↗Andean condorA huge bird can travel on rising air.Vultur gryphus ↗Peregrine falconA hunting dive is not the same measurement as level flight.Falco peregrinus ↗