Few birds have been as little studied and as misunderstood as Hummingbirds. They are the smallest of all birds with a length ranging from 2" to 8". Males of most species are identified by their iridescent feathers. Females and immatures of both sexes are normally plain and nondescript with the immatures of both sexes resembling the adult females. Hummingbirds are strictly a bird of the Western Hemisphere. They are found as far north as Southeastern Alaska and the Maritimes of Canada and as far south as Southern Chile. The majority of the approximately 320 species are found in the tropics.
