Hummingbirds are some of the most beloved birds, captivating people with their diminutive size, iridescent plumage, and remarkable flying skills. Their seemingly boundless energy and constant motion have earned them a variety of nicknames over the years. Here are some of the most popular hummingbird nicknames and the stories behind them.
Hummingbird
The most common nickname for these tiny birds is simply “hummingbird.” This name refers to the humming or buzzing sound created by their rapidly beating wings which flap 12-80 times per second depending on the species. As they fly from flower to flower feeding on nectar, their wings generate this persistent humming noise. The English word “hummingbird” first appeared in print in the 1500s and was derived from the birds’ characteristic hum.
Hummer
“Hummer” is a very common shortened form of hummingbird. Both “hummingbird” and “hummer” reference the same unique sound produced by their wings. While “hummingbird” is the more formal name that appears in scientific references and birding guides, “hummer” is a widely used casual nickname among bird enthusiasts in North America.
Flying Jewels
Hummingbirds are sometimes referred to as “flying jewels” due to their jewel-like, glittering plumage. In bright sunlight, the iridescent feathers of many hummingbird species gleam with metallic green, crimson, sapphire, violet, and gold. Depending on the viewing angle, the colors seem to change magically. This sparkling rainbow-like quality of their feathers inspired the poetic nickname “flying jewels.”
Tiny Dancers
“Tiny dancers” is an endearing nickname that captures the graceful movements and aerial dances of hummingbirds. They can fly forwards, backwards, upside down, and even sideways. Many of their maneuvers require complex coordination and precision hovering skills. When hummingbirds feed at flower blossoms, they may perform an elaborate rotating dance as they strategically access the nectar from all angles. This delicate choreography, along with their minuscule size, earned them the nickname “tiny dancers.”
Fairies
The whimsical nickname “fairies” evokes the mystical, delicate beauty of hummingbirds. In many cultures, hummingbirds have been associated with magic, spiritual messages, and fairy tales. Their tiny proportions, otherworldly speeds, and hover-in-midair feeding routines have inspired comparisons to sprites, elves, and fairies. The Aztecs believed dead warriors were reincarnated as hummingbirds and Mayans saw them as symbols of energy and purifying rain. Even today, many gardeners feel a sense of magic and wonder when hummingbirds visit their flowers, reinforcing their fairy-like nickname.
Little Warriors
Despite their small stature, hummingbirds are surprisingly tough and aggressive. Their feisty personality has earned them nicknames like “little warriors” and “gladiators.” They fiercely defend their feeding territories, chasing away intruders. Male hummingbirds bravely compete for mates, engaging in extreme courtship displays and high-speed power dives meant to impress watching females. Even migration takes fighter pilot-level endurance as some species fly nonstop 500-600 miles over the Gulf of Mexico. For their size, hummingbirds display remarkable strength and courage.
Nature’s Helicopters
Hummingbirds hover, dart sideways, and even fly backwards thanks to their uniquely specialized wings that rotate in a full circle. This allows them to float in front of flowers and perform aerial maneuvers unmatched by other birds. Their distinctive hovering skill brings to mind helicopters, leading to nicknames like “nature’s helicopters” or “feathered helicopters.” High speed camera footage reveals how they can achieve such nimble control of flight. As their wings beat, the leading edge rotates a full 180 degrees in a figure-eight pattern while the wrist joint allows the wings to swivel as needed. This gives them the ability to fly like tiny helicopters.
Rainbows with Wings
In flight, the iridescent plumage of hummingbirds seems to shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow. As they zip around from bloom to bloom, they appear as miniature rainbows with wings. Their habitat range includes tropical regions around the equator where humidity accentuates the coloring on their feathers. The structure of their feathers includes nanoscale color-producing structures that strongly reflect particular wavelengths of light. As they move, these colors seem to shift and blend like a prism. This inspired descriptive nicknames such as “rainbows with wings.”
Living Gems
“Living gems” is an elegant nickname that captures the jewel-toned sparkle of hummingbird feathers along with the birds’ energetic liveliness. The iridescent effect on their plumage comes from tiny air bubbles and melanin pigments packed into intricate feather structures. When light hits these specialized feathers, they shimmer as they flutter with a brilliance resembling polished gems or crystals. As dazzling as actual precious stones, the reds, greens, violets seem to glint from within as they flit rapidly about, giving rise to the nickname “living gems.”
Twinkle Toes
In flight, hummingbirds’ feet are moving as rapidly as their wings. High speed footage shows their feet twitching and shuffling in a fast blur. This restless foot motion led to the cutesy nickname “twinkle toes.” It’s estimated that their feet make over 53 million movements over the course of their lifetime. The Kenyan ruby-throated hummingbird was recorded as beating its feet at 93 times per second. During hovering, their toe fanning helps with steering and stability. The nonstop foot twitching also likely helps remove insects from their feathers. Like the flickering of tiny stars, their constantly fluttering feet inspired the fond label “twinkle toes.”
Tiny Tweets
Many hummingbird species have distinctive buzzing, chirping vocalizations used for courtship or communication. Their voices are as small and delicate as they are, earning them nicknames like “tiny tweets.” One of the most recognizable hummingbird calls is the males’ twangy mating song meant to show off during courtship rituals or attract potential mates. The bold chirp serves as a way to flaunt their vigor and health. Female hummingbirds also vocalize using more subdued authority chirps to indicate possession of feeders or flowers. The musically cheerful way hummingbirds socialize inspired the sweet nickname “tiny tweets.”
Winged Bumblebees
Hummingbirds are frequently mistaken for insects due to their diminutive size and aerial agility. As they buzz energetically from flower to flower, collecting nectar, their resemblance to bees or bumblebees is clear. In fact, hummingbirds and bees evolved in a mutually beneficial way; flowering plants attract pollinators with nectar rewards in return for pollination services. Hummingbirds’ role as tiny pollinators zipping among blossoms leads to nicknames like “winged bumblebees.” Their shared niche with bumblebees is reinforced by this nickname.
Sugar Birds
“Sugar birds” refers to hummingbirds’ love of sugary nectar, which makes up the majority of their diet. To fuel their ultra-high metabolism, hummingbirds drink more than their weight in nectar each day and visit hundreds or even thousands of flowers daily. They prefer blossoms with higher sugar concentrations, competing aggressively for the sweetest, most energy-dense sources. Hummingbirds can even taste sugar using taste receptors on their tongue and will reject plants with diluted nectar. Their dependence on nature’s sugar water earned them nicknames linking them to sweets like “sugar birds.”
Flower Kissers
A romantic nickname for hummingbirds is “flower kissers,” conjuring images of them delicately nuzzling flower blossoms as they sip nectar. Their thin pointed bills are perfectly adapted for probing deep into cup-shaped blooms. As they insert their beak far into each flower, their head moves from side to side, sweetly “kissing” the blossom. This graceful movement lets them access even the most recessed reserves of nectar. High-speed footage reveals just how intimately their bill touches the innermost parts of flowers, inspiring their affectionate “flower kissers” nickname.
Joyas Voladoras (Flying Jewels)
There are over 300 species of hummingbirds spread across the Americas. In Spanish speaking countries like Mexico and Peru, hummingbirds are affectionately called “joyas voladoras” meaning “flying jewels.” This lyrical nickname captures their magical iridescent plumage glittering like precious jewels as well as their unbounded capacity for energetic flight. To Native American cultures, they symbolized renewal, vibrancy, purity, and the soul itself. The Aztecs viewed hummingbirds as “flying jewels” representing energy from the sun and different aspects of life. This mystical nickname endures in Spanish-speaking cultures today.
Chuparrosa (Nectar Sucker)
Chuparrosa or chupaflor is another charming Spanish nickname for hummingbirds meaning “nectar sucker.” Their feeding style relies on lapping up sugary nectar with specialized long tongues that flick 13-17 times per second. Using capillary action, nectar moves rapidly up grooves in their tongue to the throat. The tongue then retracts, compressing against the top of the beak to expel excess liquid before repeating the process. This allows for nonstop nectar consumption, earning hummingbirds nicknames highlighting their efficiency at sucking up nature’s sweet liquid energy.
Beija-flor (Flower Kisser)
In Portuguese, hummingbirds are called beija-flor which translates to “flower kisser.” Like Spanish cultures, Portuguese speakers focused on the intimate way hummingbirds probe flowers with their slender bills, touching their head to blossoms in a kiss-like fashion. While collecting nectar, they delicately embrace each flower. Their graceful hovering near blooms evokes a bird-flower “kiss.” By naming hummingbirds after this harmonious exchange, Portuguese cultures celebrated the beauty of mutualism displayed between hummingbirds and flowers.
Fadas (Fairies)
In Portuguese, hummingbirds are affectionately called fadas or “fairies”, much like the English nickname linking them to magic and spiritual energy. Ancient folklore portrayed hummingbirds as mythic fairies or spirits embodied in a tiny bird form. Their whizzing flight let them easily transport messages between the heavens and earth. Rainbow colors around their throat were seen as good luck charms. And their darting movements symbolized a lightness of spirit. By calling hummingbirds “fairies”, Brazilian cultures acknowledged their connection to themes of positivity, joy, light, and transformation.
Chica (Girl)
Some South American cultures use the familiar nickname chica or “girl” for hummingbirds. In areas like Bolivia and Chile, local folklore portrays hummingbirds as protectors of young girls and symbols of youth and innocence. Their association with renewal and energy also links them to themes of young femininity in Andean culture. Calling hummingbirds chica affectionately characterizes their vibrancy and life force while positioning them in a feminine nurturing role as guardian spirits for children.
Chiméri (Noisy Insect)
In Haiti, hummingbirds are called chiméri which means “noisy insect” or “pest.” This nickname focuses on the irritating buzzing sound of their wings which flap up to 200 times per second during hovering. While beautiful, hummingbirds can seem aggressive or intrusive as they energetically compete for nectar in native gardens. Their persistent wing hum and hovering flight resembles that of bothersome insects. The nickname chiméri captures Haitian perceptions of hummingbirds as noisy pests invading their airspace despite acknowledging their magnificence.
Oiseau-mouche (Fly Bird)
French cultures nickname hummingbirds oiseau-mouche meaning “fly bird.” Like Spanish and Portuguese names, they focused on the hummingbird’s insect-like qualities. Their common name colibri even stems from an American Indian word translated as “long wings.” The French adopted descriptive nicknames conveying the hummingbird’s ability to magically hover alongside tiny flying insects. Although they knew it was a bird, its semblance to an iridescent fly created nicknames conveying this visual blend of avian and insect flight.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds around the world have inspired colorful nicknames and terms of endearment in many languages. Focusing on everything from their shimmery plumage to their hovering flight, these creative names reveal local perspectives of hummingbird qualities. They highlight key attributes like the humming sound, feeding behaviors, aerial agility, iridescence, and resemblance to flying insects and fairies. Beyond scientific terms, these nicknames help convey the joy, wonder, and appreciation that hummingbirds bring into our lives.