Hummingbirds are the smallest members of the avian class, with its tiniest member (bee hummingbird) being only 2.25 inches and weighing only 2 grams!
However, they are a part a large hummingbird family of over 300 species.
And hummingbirds been around a very long time, just like the bees – they have evolved in the Americas around 22 million years ago.
Hummingbirds come in a wide variety of jewel-like colors and are incredibly agile as they can hover still for seconds and fly backward.
As cute as they are, hummingbirds are actually incredibly fierce, to the point of attacking intruders with their long beaks.
Being so brave, but also the only bird that can fly backwards, it is obvious why they are a source of inspiration for many.
To the Indigenous cultures of the Pacific Coast, the hummingbirds have a wide pallete of meanings:
a messenger of joy
intelligence,
beauty,
devotion,
love
fierce fighters and defenders of their territory
