Little Warriors
By Julia A. Keirns
The Guinness Book of Records states that the smallest bird in the world is the Cuban Bee Hummingbird. It weighs less than one-tenth of an ounce, about equal to the weight of a dime. From the tip of its beak to the end of its tail it is only a little more than two inches long. The hummingbird’s body alone is as small as a bumblebee.
More than 500 years ago, in the 1400’s, this tiny bird was common on all of the Caribbean Islands. There are many Indian and Native American tales that tell stories of the hummingbird’s existence there. Some of these legends are even about the hummingbird’s creation.
One legend says that these birds were actually insects at the beginning of time. Specifically, flies. Supposedly, when God had finished creating all the other species of birds, there were many scraps of feathers lying about in a mess. God didn’t want to waste the brilliantly colored feathers, so he used them to turn the flies into beautiful hummingbirds.
Once it became a bird, defense was quite a necessity. Other birds were cruel. They mocked and laughed at the tiny remnant. They especially made fun of how small the nest was that the bird constructed out of spider webs and moss, and decorated with lichens. To give you an idea of its size, a quarter would cover the top of the nest and easily hide it. Normally a very peaceful creature, when it came to protecting its territory, the gentle hummingbird turned into a fierce little warrior with the heart of an eagle.
In one of the native languages, the word “Colibri” means “the humble little hummingbird.” This Indian tribe even named their warriors the Colibri Warriors (the Hummingbird Warriors), because of the fierceness with which this little bird protected its homeland. Another native nickname for the small bird was “Zoom Zoom,” because of its quickness and the way it zoomed from flower to flower.
But, as quick as they were, eventually these little warriors met their match…man. European man to be exact. In the year 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain with a crew of about 90 men and landed on Guanahani, an island in the Bahamas. A few weeks later they invaded the Islands of Cuba where the hummingbirds flourished most. There is evidence that Christopher Columbus wrote of the native Zoom Zoom in his personal diary. The Europeans had never seen a bird so small.
Needing to win favor with the King and Queen of Spain because of mistakes that had been made during his voyages, Columbus sent a dead hummingbird’s skin home to the Queen. The iridescent feathers would surely impress her and ease her distress.
The hummingbird was so tiny and meek that it soon became easy prey for all the Europeans. Hunted for decorative ornamental purposes only, the little warriors found they were no match for man. But, they were also prey to a few natural enemies as well. Because of its petite size, the Cuban Bee Hummingbird is the only bird known to ever have been caught in a spider’s web. It is tiny enough that praying mantises and even dragonflies have preyed upon it. Eventually, this little hummingbird fled away from every Caribbean Island except Cuba, searching for safety. Cuba is where it found its refuge, thus the name Cuban Bee. It is the only place where the smallest bird in the world can be found today.
Man no longer poses a threat to this dazzling creature. It is not endangered. It continues to amaze us with its magical darts through the air, and its mysterious beauty. And although you may not see the Cuban Bee Hummingbird where you live, you might still enjoy the wonder of the other species of hummingbirds in your area. As you watch and observe them, try to remember how hard they had to fight to earn their place in the world, and know that even the littlest warriors can survive.