How Far Can Hummingbirds Fly? Get To Know 8 Amazing Species

Do you want to find out how far can hummingbirds fly? Keep reading, as you might be surprised.

We believe that most of you will agree with us that hummers are one of the most impressive among the 10,000 species of birds in the world. Although very small, hummingbirds have the ability to reach incredible speeds and cover incredible distances.

What do you think how far can hummingbirds fly? Do they only migrate from one side of town to the other or from one country to another all in one flight? Guess again, but think further, much, much further in fact. Let’s go into detail!

What Does the Science Say?

According to various studies that are regularly published in a journal such as The Auk: Ornithological Advances, it has been proven that some types of hummingbirds like the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) can fly approximately 1,370 miles without taking a single break.

To help you understand the distance, you can compare it to a direct flight from Atlanta to Albuquerque, from Beirut to Budapest, or from Tokyo to Taipei. Pretty far, isn’t it? Especially when you consider that it is an extremely small bird that sometimes weighs as much as a dime.

Furthermore, we must mention a very important study conducted by researchers at the University Of Southern Mississippi. Specifically, these researchers tracked 2,729 individual hummingbirds as they migrated through southern Alabama, specifically analyzing the birds’ habits, flight length, mass, and wingspan. Based on the obtained results, the researchers concluded that some hummers can fly an incredible 29 million lengths of their bodies in just one go. We were speechless when we first heard this information, and what about you?

How Far Can Hummingbirds Fly?

For all those who have been wondering” how far can hummingbirds fly“, read below for the latest information.

Can you believe that hummingbirds can fly between 500 and 1,200 miles a day? However, research says the average is about 720 miles per day. What is particularly interesting to us is that during the migration period, these smallest birds in the world can fly 1200 miles non-stop. Accordingly, they can reach their destination faster in a few days, but it all depends on their will as well as on the destination they need to reach.

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How Far Can Each Species Of Hummingbird Fly In One Day?

Ruby-throated hummingbirds can fly about 500 miles in a day. This happens during their spring and fall migrations when they cross the Gulf of Mexico.
Did you know that Rufous hummingbirds breed further north than any other bird? In addition, they do not breed in winter and spend most of their time in southern Mexico, especially in Guerrero.
Known for their unique appearance, Costa’s are the smallest North American desert birds that live in the Western United States and Mexico and can migrate as far as Alaska and Canada.
The flight range of Black-chinned hummingbirds is quite large, namely, their breeding area extends from southern British Columbia in Canada all the way to Idaho and Nevada. They also migrate to warmer areas such as Southern California, Arizona, and Texas to spend the winter.
Allen’s hummingbirds can migrate as far south as Mexico during the winter. During the winter they usually move to the coast of the Pacific Ocean, while on the other hand, during the summer they move south through the mountains. Unfortunately, Allen’s hummingbirds are limited in number and mostly nest in California.

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Are you familiar with the fact that Anna’s hummingbird’s breed from Vancouver, Canada to California and east across southern Arizona? It is important to emphasize that this is a permanent resident of the Pacific coast that stays there during the winter, and in addition, they are present in some areas where there are no other species of hummingbirds.
Broad-tailed hummingbirds migrate north in the spring, and after the breeding season head south as far as Guatemala.
Beautiful Calliope hummers usually breed in the mountains of the Northwestern United States and Canada to Alaska and can travel from Arizona and Northern Mexico all the way to Southwestern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.

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How Long Can Their Flight Last Without Stopping & Without Food?

Try to imagine a hummer that is only a few inches tall and has proven to fly over 1,200 miles non-stop. This most often happens during their annual migration from the East Coast of the USA to Central America.

Furthermore, it is particularly interesting to us that the researchers discovered that older members of the species start migrating earlier than younger ones, travel much faster, and arrive at their destination a little earlier.

The fact that they can fly across the Gulf of Mexico in one go is pretty amazing.

Furthermore, since they have a very high metabolism, these tiny birds need to eat constantly to get the energy to migrate. Unfortunately, hummingbirds can starve to death if they do not eat food within 3 to 5 hours. Because of this, they usually visit between 1000-2000 flowers during the day, and their diet is not only based on nectar, but also on various types of insects, mosquitoes, ants, beetles, wasps, and many others.

How Long Can Their Flight Last Without Stopping & Without Food

To Conclude – How Far Can Hummingbirds Fly?

Hummingbirds are one of the smallest birds that can achieve considerable speed and fly up to 1,200 miles non-stop. Given that there are various species of hummingbirds, each of them has its own breeding place, as well as the length of the flight it must travel to reach it.

Were you surprised when you found out the answer to the question “how far can hummingbirds fly”? Let us know below.

FAQ’s

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