Tiny, fast-flying birds that hover in place by beating their wings incredibly quickly and feed on flower nectar using their long beaks.
The word 'hummingbird' comes from the humming sound created by their rapid wing beats (up to 80 times per second). 'Humming' derives from Old English 'hum,' an imitative word. The compound 'hummingbird' first appeared in English in the 1600s when European colonists encountered these birds in the Americas.
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