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.



White-Booted Racket-Tail Hummingbird: White-booted racket-tail hummingbirds (Ocreatus underwoodii) are known for their wispy leg puffs—"booties"—and two elongated tail feathers ending in iridescent, racket-like flares. Only males have the latter feature. Because the white-booted racket-tail hummingbird can reach into the long tubular flowers that exclude bees or butterflies from access, many flowering plants in their native South America rely on the species for pollination.