Is A Hummingbird Really Lighter Than A Penny? (Explained)

Last updated on May 11th, 2023 at 11:07 pm

Hummingbirds are fantastically small and quick. In fact, you may have heard the rumor that these birds are even lighter than a penny.

A hummingbird weighs about the same as a penny on average, which is about three grams. Some species of hummingbirds are lighter than a penny, like the Cuban Bee Hummingbird, but the common Ruby-throated Hummingbird and most of its relatives are closer to the three-gram mark.

Table of Contents

• How Much Does a Hummingbird Weigh?
  • How Hummingbird Weight Affects Speed
  • This Is How Much an Average Songbird Weighs
  • This Is How Much Larger Birds Weigh
• How Much Does a Hummingbird Eat?
  • How Much Hummingbird Nectar Should I Put Out?
  • This Is How Much Songbirds Eat on Average
  • How To Know How Many Bird Feeders To Put Out
• How Are Birds So Lightweight?
  • Why Hollow Bones Don’t Make Birds Any Lighter
  • Why Birds Must Be Lightweight
• Sources

How Much Does a Hummingbird Weigh?

A hummingbird weighs about three grams on average. Some hummingbird species are even smaller, like the Bee Hummingbird, found in Cuba.

The Bee Hummingbird is just 1.5 grams in weight, half of the weight of a penny.

How Hummingbird Weight Affects Speed

Because hummingbirds are so small, they can move very fast.

They can flap their wings at a rate as fast as 200 times per second, and they can dive-bomb unwanted intruders at 60 mph.

When flying in a straight line, they can reach an impressive 30 mph.

As a general rule, the fastest speed a bird can reach doubles for each 100-fold increase in its body mass, up to 15-20 kg.

Any birds that are heavier than this are unable to achieve flight, like the ostrich.

Hummingbirds can achieve speeds even faster than expected for their weight due to the shape of their wings and body, as do pigeons and ducks.

Unlike hummingbirds, owls and terns are slower than expected for their body weight.

The cost of energy it takes to produce lift for these birds is even greater than you’d expect based on mass due to the way their bodies are shaped, as they are not optimized for fast flying.

This Is How Much an Average Songbird Weighs

Songbirds are considerably heavier than hummingbirds, weighing between 37 and 54 grams.

Larger birds like the Mourning Dove are heavier than birds like the American Goldfinch and Warblers, and weigh 140 to 180 grams.

There is no difference in weight between male and female birds. Rather, the sexes are distinguished from each other based on plumage and behavior.

This Is How Much Larger Birds Weigh

Larger birds like owls and hawks weigh even more than songbirds, yet they are not too heavy to fly.

This is because of how their bodies are shaped and because of the strength of their flying muscles.

As a point of reference, a Great Horned Owl weighs about 3-4 lbs, and a Snowy Owl weighs about 4 lbs.

How Much Does a Hummingbird Eat?

A hummingbird eats about half its weight in sugar daily, and it needs to eat about every ten minutes throughout its waking hours.

These tiny birds can only survive night hours without food by going into a state known as torpor, where the metabolic rate slows down, and the body temperature decreases.

How Much Hummingbird Nectar Should I Put Out?

You should put out an appropriate amount of hummingbird nectar for the number of birds in your area, which you won’t know without a little trial and error.

First, put out a certain amount in a feeder, then adjust the next day based on how much of the nectar is gone. Never reuse nectar. 

Be careful not to let it sit too long, as hummingbirds can get drunk on nectar.

If you’re looking for a more foolproof way to feed local hummingbirds, try planting native flowers rather than or in addition to installing a feeder.

Hummingbirds like colorful, tubular flowers with plenty of nectar.

For example, Cardinal Flowers, Bee Balm, and Penstemon are all popular choices that attract hummingbirds.

This Is How Much Songbirds Eat on Average

On average, songbirds eat about half their body weight each day, the same ratio of food to bodyweight that a hummingbird eats.

However, this varies depending on the season. Birds eat much more during the winter months when they’re trying to keep warm.

Sparrows can starve after 15 hours without food in the winter but can last three days without food in summer.

How To Know How Many Bird Feeders To Put Out

Like with hummingbird feeders, the right amount of food to put out will vary depending on what species you have in your area and how many birds there are.

The best thing you can do is monitor your feeders, starting with a smaller amount of food and increasing it each day until you figure out how much seed or suet the birds go through.

Native plants can also supplement your feeders’ food, much like hummingbirds.

Flowers, trees, and bushes can all provide food sources for birds, each supporting its own range of species.

For example, Cornflower plants attract bluebirds and waxwings, where Elderberries attract goldfinches and orioles, among others.

How Are Birds So Lightweight?

Birds are so lightweight because they’re small and have no unnecessary bulk.

Their reproductive organs remain small most of the time, growing to size only during the season when they are needed.

And their feathers are hollow without sacrificing strength, made from long shafts of keratin.

Why Hollow Bones Don’t Make Birds Any Lighter

Contrary to popular belief, birds’ hollow bones do not make them any lighter.

While their bones leave extra space for air, they are also extra dense, making up for the difference in weight.

So, the reason why birds have hollow bones isn’t to save weight, but rather, it’s to give them extra breathing room.

Their hollow skeletons are filled with air sacs that can hold oxygen, allowing them to breathe even more heavily and deeply. This allows them to fly further and higher.

Why Birds Must Be Lightweight

Birds must be lightweight because, in most cases, they need to be able to fly, in some cases, over long distances.

If they had much bodyweight to carry around, they would grow fatigued much more quickly and be unable to handle the long migratory routes that some birds must follow.

Hummingbirds, for example, may migrate more than 3,000 miles from Alaska or Canada to Mexico every year.

Some migrate across Central America, covering the 500-mile stretch over the Gulf of Mexico nonstop. They would be unable to do this without very lightweight bodies.

Sources

• National Wildlife Federation: Ten Amazing Things About the World’s Tiniest Backyard Birds
• The Spruce: 25 Fun Facts About Hummingbirds
• The Cornell Lab: All About Birds: Feeding Hummingbirds