How fast does a hummingbird’s heart beat?

/Natural History/Animal Life Cycle & Growth

Explore Taxon:

Avian Altricial Ontogeny

Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris

Explore the complete life journey from birth to maximum documented longevity. Move the interactive age slider below to see real-time biometric growth ranges, developmental milestones, metabolic changes, and ontogenetic stages.

Avg Wild Lifespan

5 Years

Typical in habitat

Max Documented

9.2 Years

Record longevity

Peak Daily Gain

0.15 grams per day

Growth velocity

Aging Pattern

Gradual Aging

Senescence curve

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Apodiformes / Trochilidae

Interactive Lifespan & Growth Scrubber

Drag the slider or click any milestone step to observe dynamic biometrics and physiological changes.

🐣

Active Life Stage

Jellybean Chick

🐣 Birth / Day 0Selected Age: Hatch (Day 0)👑 Full Maturity & Maximum Longevity

LengthRange

10 – 14 mm

Peer-reviewed anatomical bounds for this developmental bracket.

Body Mass RangeEstimated

0.5 – 0.7 g

Velocity: Gains 0.15 g / day

Reproductive Maturity0%

Juvenile pre-pubescent phase

Predation Vulnerability

Critical (High Predation)

Survival probability relative to adult predation apex status.

🌿Dietary Intake & Nutrition at Hatch (Day 0)

Regurgitated insects and flower nectar.

🐾Behavior, Locomotion & Ecology

Naked, blind in spiderweb cup nest.

Key Developmental Milestones at this Stage:

Hatches from pea-sized egg in 14 days

Scientific Note on Precision: Growth values are approximate biological ranges derived from field and veterinary records. Exact size varies by sex, population genetics, nutritional availability, climate, and health.

Taxon-Specific Life Stage Machine

How Ruby-throated Hummingbird progresses through distinct morphological phases.

🐣

Stage 1

Jellybean Nestling (0–3 Weeks)

0 - 3 Weeks

Hatches from an egg the size of a tic-tac in a walnut-sized nest woven with spider silk and lichen.

Anatomical Highlights:

•Rapid needle bill lengthening
•Grooved nectar tongue development
•Wing figure-eight hovering joint mechanics

Ecology: Fed by solitary mother with regurgitated gnats and nectar.

👑

Stage 2

Hyper-Metabolic Adult

1 - 9+ Years

Flaps wings 53 times per second in figure-eight loops. Heart beats 1,260 bpm; drinks 2x its body weight in nectar daily.

Anatomical Highlights:

•Ruby-red iridescent throat gorget in males
•Torpor ability dropping body temperature by 20°C overnight
•Pectoral muscles comprise 30% of total body weight

Ecology: Primary pollinator of tubular woodland flowers.

Growth Timeline Reference Matrix

Standardized peer-reviewed biometric development data.

Age Milestone	Life Stage	Length Range	Body Mass Range	Maturity	Dietary Regime
🐣Hatch (Day 0)	Jellybean Chick	10–14 mm	0.5–0.7 g	0%	Regurgitated insects and flower nectar.
🌸3 Weeks (Fledgling)	Hovering Fledgling	80–105 mm	3–3.6 g	60%	Nectar from 1,000+ flowers daily + aphids.
👑1–8+ Years (Adult Migrant)	Ruby-Throated Adult	85–110 mm	3.2–4.5 g	100%	Nectar, tree sap, tiny flying spiders and gnats.

Growth Velocity Profile

Peak Expansion: Hatch to Day 20 (multiplies weight by 6x in 3 weeks)

Proportion at Birth: Hatch weight is ~18% of adult mass

Sexual Dimorphism & Human Scale

Male vs. Female: Males develop iridescent ruby-red throat gorgets; females are slightly larger.

Scale: Weighs only ~3.2 grams (less than a single nickel coin / 5-cent piece)

Developmental Breakthroughs

Key Milestones in the Life of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird

🌸21 Days

Hover Flight

Leaves walnut-sized nest and hovers in mid-air immediately.

🌊6 Months

Gulf Migration

Completes 800 km non-stop overwater flight across Gulf of Mexico.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ruby-throated Hummingbird Life History

Scientific answers to high-intent queries regarding lifespan and growth.

A hummingbird's heart beats up to 1,260 times per minute during hovering flight, and its wings beat about 53 times per second!

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris