1001 Space Earth Nature Evolution Fossils and Prehistoric Life Dinosaurs Simple Animals Insects and Spiders Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds Sea Mammals Land Mammals Plant Kingdom How Plants Live Unusual Plants Ecology Conservation Animal Behaviour Pets and Farm Animals History Human World Science and Technology

Choose a Page:How do birds hunt prey?Which is the most numerous bird?Why do some birds fly away in winter?Which birds live the longest?Which birds are used as symbols?Why do other birds raise cuckoo ch...Which bird sleeps in the air?*Why do hummingbirds hum?*Why do some birds have bright, sho...How deep can a bird dive?When did the first bird live?How many types of bird are there?How fast can an ostrich run? Why do hummingbirds hum? Hummingbirds gain their name from the noise made by their wings. They can beat their wings 100 times each second - and a few can beat their wings even faster than that. This rapid beating, which produces the characteristic hum, is essential for the birds, as they need to hover above a flower in order to suck the nectar on which they feed. Hummingbirds can hover, fly forward and backward, and up and down in their search for nectar.   Previous: Back Book: 1001 Section: Nature Chapter: Birds