Page 180 - An Anthology of Intriguing Animals (DK)
P. 180
Hummingbird
R ed, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo,
and violet … hummingbirds come in many
beautiful colors. Species like the violet-tailed sylph
also have beautiful long tails. Hummingbirds fly so fast,
they whiz past in a blur. Their little wings can beat up to
two hundred times a second, making the humming noise that
gives them their name. Like helicopters, they can hover and
even fly backward!
Most hummingbirds live in the forests of Central and South America.
Because they fly so fast, they are always hungry and they drink
flower nectar to build up their energy. They need to visit one to
two thousand blooms every day. The Portuguese name for
hummingbirds means “flower kissers.”
Violet-tailed sylph,
South America
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