Hummingbirds — Reading Comprehension Lesson

Reading Passage

Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are among the smallest birds in the world, yet they are also some of the most remarkable. Named for the humming sound made by their rapidly beating wings, these tiny birds can flap their wings up to 80 times per second — so fast that the wings appear as a blur.

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly in all directions, including backward and upside down. Their unique shoulder joint allows them to rotate their wings in a figure-eight pattern, generating lift on both the downstroke and the upstroke. This makes hovering in place possible as they feed.

The primary food source for hummingbirds is nectar from flowers. Their long, slender bills and tube-like tongues allow them to reach deep inside flowers to lap up nectar at an astonishing rate — up to 13 licks per second. In exchange for nectar, hummingbirds carry pollen from flower to flower, making them important pollinators.

Despite their tiny size, hummingbirds have enormous energy demands. Their hearts beat up to 1,200 times per minute during flight, and they must consume about half their body weight in sugar each day. To survive cool nights without food, they enter a deep sleep-like state called torpor, slowing their metabolism dramatically.

Most hummingbird species are found in North and South America. Many species migrate thousands of miles each year. The ruby-throated hummingbird, common in eastern North America, makes a nonstop flight of up to 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico during its annual migration.

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