There are criminally few toys of hummingbirds, which are surely some of the most beloved and extraordinary birds across the Americas. Perhaps their diminutive size and delicate forms intimidate toy manufacturers, or maybe they just get bad luck of the draw when new releases are chosen. Whatever the cause, toy companies have left a vacuum in this corner of bird collectibles; so any new contribution is to be welcomed.
Classification: Hummingbirds
Hummingbird (ChocoEgg Series 6 by Furuta)
4.3 (4 votes)
This miniature in the ChocoEgg Series 6 by Furuta is usually listed under the broad name “hummingbird”, so that’s how I’m listing it in the title here, but some websites specify it as the swallow-tailed hummingbird, Eupetomena macoura, a species of hummingbird from South America. However, since the figurine lacks many of the distinctive characteristics of that specific bird, not least a forked swallow-like tail, something is clearly amiss, and that’s why I was reluctant to adopt the specific name at face value.
Bee Hummingbird, pair (1/1 Bee Hummingbirds by SO-TA)
5 (2 votes)
The bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) is the world’s small extant bird, possibly the smallest bird ever known (but I am not up-to-date on the full extent of the avian fossil record). It is endemic to Cuba and its surrounding islands, especially the Zapata swamp in the eastern part of the island.