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Hummingbirds vs macaws: hummingbirds

These ethereal birds are record breakers when it comes to physical attributes. They’re also hypnotic in the air and dead cute when they stay still enough for you to admire.

Their incredibly fast wings whirr as they dart past, performing speedy fly bys that register only as a brief flicker in the corner of your eye. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.

This video shows a variety of hummingbirds buzzing around a feeder in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Don't forget to scroll down to learn more about hummingbirds. Then watch the video of macaws and vote for your favourite…

Five facts about hummingbirds

• Hummingbirds flap their wings at a rate of 12 to 90 times per second, depending on the species.
• Hummingbirds can fly faster than 15 metres per second. That’s 54 kilometres per hour or 34 miles per hour.
• The highest recorded heart rate of a hummingbird is 1,260 beats per minute – measured in a blue-throated hummingbird.
• Depending on your taxonomic viewpoint, there are up to 340 species of hummingbird, including 18 found in the grounds of Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, Peru.
• Hummingbirds are found across the Americas, from Alaska to Chile. The greatest diversity of hummingbird species is found in Ecuador.

Watch the macaws video...

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