Mystery Of A Tiny Hummingbird’s Mighty Migration Unraveled

Plants and Animals





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The birds annually migrate from eastern U.S. to Central America. Steve Byland/Shutterstock

It might be small, but the ruby-throated hummingbird sure is mighty. Spending their summer in the eastern United States where they breed, every year the little birds migrate thousands of kilometers south to spend the winter in Central America. They manage this despite weighing in at just 2 to 6 grams (0.07 to 0.2 ounces) each and measuring only 8 centimeters (3 inches) long. Now, a new study has examined the intricacies of this epic flight from this minuscule bird.