The wings of the world's tiniest birds are a near-invisible blur as they whizz around tourists visiting a private Cuban garden that has become a haven for the declining species. The bee hummingbird, which measures just five to six centimeters (two inches) long, is only found in Cuba. Its losses have been huge, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) saying it has disappeared from many areas due to deforestation. (Report and Images: AFP)
Updated On: 2024-07-13 02:22 PM IST
Compiled by : Raaina Jain
Bernabe Hernández looks at a Zunzuncito hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) feeding in his backyard
In Palpite, in the southwest of the country, Bernabe Hernandez, 75, has turned his garden into a paradise for the bitty bird. "We never get tired of it. We always discover something new!" he said as he watched two of the hummingbirds (Mellisuga helenae) zip towards a hanging water bath.
A zunzuncito hummingbird perches on the branch of a bush in the Hummingbird's House
Cubans call them "zunzuncito," a word evoking the sound of the buzzing of their tiny wings, which can flap up to 100 times a minute. When Hurricane Michelle, one of the strongest to ever hit Cuba, devastated crops and homes in the area in 2001, "the zunzuncito disappeared. There were no more flowers, many died," according to local bird lover Orestes Martinez.
Bernabe Hernández looks at Zunzuncito hummingbirds feeding in his backyard
Hernandez planted a 'ponasi' in his garden, a shrub whose fruit is sought after by birds. He did not know that the shrub's flowers were a delicacy for bee hummingbirds, who quickly flocked to his garden, which also boasts mango, guava and avocado trees. "When I first saw a zunzuncito, I thought it was an insect," he said. He decided to plant more of the shrubs and his lush garden soon buzzed with hummingbirds, which nested in nearby woods.
Tourists take photos of a Zunzuncito hummingbird in the Hummingbird's House
Another hummingbird, the Cuban Emerald, which measures up to 10 centimeters, also frequents the garden, which was opened to tourists in 2003 and is now known as "The House of the Hummingbirds."
Bernabe Hernández prepares a mixture of water and sugar to feed Zunzuncito hummingbirds
Guides from the Cienaga de Zapata National Park aided Hernandez and his wife Juana Matos with the precise mixture of water and sugar contained in the feeders. The two have become experts in the behavior of the bird, pointing out the iridescent red head of a male bee hummingbird, who looks like he is wearing a glittery mask -- but only during the mating season.
