their body weight in food. Habitat and distribution The bee hummingbird is endemic to the entire Cuban archipelago, including the main island of Cuba and the Isla de la Juventud in the West Indies. Its population is fragmented, found in Cuba's mogote areas in Pinar del Rio province and more commonly in Zapata Swamp (Matanzas province) and in eastern Cuba, with reference localities in Alexander Humboldt National Park and Baitiquirí Ecological Reserve (Guantanamo province) and Gibara and Sierra Cristal (Holguin province). Breeding Male bee hummingbirds court females with sound from tail‐feathers, which flutter during display dives. The bee hummingbird's breeding season is March–June, with the female laying one or two eggs. Using strands of cobwebs, bark, and lichen, female bee hummingbirds build a cup-shaped nest about in diameter, lining the nest with soft plant fibers. Branches in mature, leafy Jucaro (Bucida buceras) and juvenile Ocuje (Calophyllum antillanum) trees are commonly used for nest building. After completion of the nest, the eggs are in fledge by incubation for 21 days by only the female, followed by 2 days of hatching, and 18 days of care by the mother. Over the last 4–5 days of nestling, juvenile bee hummingbirds practice their flight capabilities. The nests are used only once, then degrade by rain and other natural factors. Coevolution with flowers The bee hummingbird's interaction with the flowers that supply nectar is a notable example of bird–plant coevolution with its primary food source (flowers for nectar). See also Hummingbird moth Dinosaur size References External links Bee Hummingbird videos, photos, and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection Bee Hummingbird photo gallery VIREO Article with synopsis (with photos); Photo BeautyofBirds / Avian Web – Bee Hummingbird ARKive Bee Hummingbird Fact File Mellisuga Endemic birds of Cuba Birds described in 1850 Taxa named by Juan Lembeye