Bee Hummingbird

Cuba

Jul 17

Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae)

Name Origin:
The genus name Mellisuga comes from the Latin mel meaning "honey" and sugere meaning "to suck", describing its nectar-feeding behavior. The species name helenae honors Helen, the wife of Cuban naturalist Juan Cristóbal Gundlach, who first described the species in the mid-19th century.

Quick Facts

🪶 Length: 5–6 cm (1.9–2.4 in)
⚖️ Weight: 1.6–2 g (0.056–0.071 oz)
🌎 Range: Endemic to Cuba and the Isla de la Juventud
🧭 Elevation: Sea level to 1,200 m (3,940 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small insects
🏡 Habitat: Forest edges, coastal scrub, and gardens with abundant flowering plants
🧬 Clade: Mellisugini "Bees" (Bee Hummingbirds tribe)
📊 Status: Near Threatened (IUCN)

Subspecies & Distribution

Monotypic species with no recognized subspecies.

Distribution: Endemic to Cuba and the nearby Isla de la Juventud. Found in lowland forests, forest edges, and coastal thickets, especially in areas rich in flowering plants.

Species Overview

The Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world, barely larger than a bumblebee. Despite its tiny size, it is bold, fast, and territorial. Endemic to Cuba, this species dazzles observers with its radiant plumage, rapid wingbeats, and precise hovering as it feeds among tropical blossoms.

Male Description:
The male has iridescent red-pink plumage on the head and throat, blue upperparts, and light gray underparts. The tail is forked and dark with a purplish sheen. During courtship, males perform steep dives while producing buzzing sounds with their wings. In sunlight, their plumage can shift from crimson to rose or fiery magenta.

Female Description:
The female is green above with white-gray underparts and a bluish tail with white tips. Her throat is pale with faint spotting. She builds a tiny cup-shaped nest using plant down and spider silk, usually placed on a slender branch or vine.

Habitat & Behavior:
This species inhabits forest edges, gardens, and coastal thickets where flowers are abundant. It feeds primarily on nectar, visiting a wide variety of native and cultivated plants, and also consumes small insects for protein. With wingbeats reaching up to 80 times per second, it hovers effortlessly and often chases away much larger hummingbirds from feeding areas.

Conservation Note:
The Bee Hummingbird is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to habitat loss and agricultural expansion in Cuba. The loss of coastal forest and scrubland reduces nesting and foraging opportunities. Conservation efforts focus on protecting coastal habitats and restoring native flowering plants that support this unique species, the smallest bird on Earth.