15 Strange And Beautiful Hummingbird Species

There are about 338 different species of hummingbirds - an amazing family of birds found only in the New World. Their ability to hover for extended periods of time and even fly backwards makes them unique in the bird world. What they lack in size, they make up for with energy; the pinnacle of this being the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds incredible ability to flap up to 200 times per second during courtship displays.

Wire-crested Thorntail: The alien-esque appearance of this hummingbird truly has to be seen to be believed! Its long antenna-like head feathers are balanced out by its spectacularly long tail. They can be seen buzzing around the eastern slope of the Andes.