Q 01/05

Which aerial trick can hummingbirds pull off that most birds can't?

A) Soar for hours

B) Fly backwards

C) Sleep on the wing

D) Fly in V formation

Answer · why

B) Fly backwards

Fly backwards: their wings join the body only at the shoulder, letting them fly straight up and down too, and they can even fly upside down.

Q 02/05

Some hummingbirds raise more chicks by nesting close to which birds of prey?

A) Owls

B) Hawks

C) Eagles

D) Vultures

Answer · why

B) Hawks

Hawks hunt jays, so jays change how they forage near hawk nests, and hummingbirds nesting close by raise more young.

Q 03/05

What is the smallest bird in the world?

A) The calliope hummingbird

B) The little woodstar

C) The bee hummingbird

D) The vervain hummingbird

Answer · why

C) The bee hummingbird

The bee hummingbird lives only in Cuba, and besides sipping nectar it catches small insects.

Q 04/05

The largest hummingbird, the giant hummingbird, weighs how much?

A) 17 to 31 grams

B) 70 to 100 grams

C) 5 to 8 grams

D) 150 grams

Answer · why

A) 17 to 31 grams

That is roughly twice the next-largest species; it has a 21.5 cm wingspan and a 23 cm body.

Q 05/05

How fast do the smallest hummingbirds beat their wings while hovering?

A) Up to 99 beats per second

B) Up to 12 beats per second

C) Up to 500 beats per second

D) About 5 beats per second

Answer · why

A) Up to 99 beats per second

The little woodstar holds the record; the largest species manage only about 12 a second.