I was watching the hummingbirds swarm the feeder, darting in and out, chasing each other away, and I thought that they were so cute. But then I realized that this behavior wouldn’t be cute if they were much larger creatures fighting over food.

It started me thinking about how humans naturally , instinctively, have a soft spot for small things.

Hummingbirds, when examined closely, aren’t really the prettiest birds, and in a larger version might not be as pretty. Some of them do have pretty colors, like the Ruby throated species, and others I’ve only seen in pictures. But most of the ones at my feeder are fairly plain , greenish colored wings with elongated gray bodies. But they’re fun to watch.

In a larger bird I don’t know if we’d find them as cute. Although the way they fly with such fast movements would still be cool to watch.

In comparison , I don’t see much excitement for the large flocks of Robins that pass through our area. I enjoy seeing them migrate, but they’re not “cute”.

What do you think ? Why do we like hummingbirds so much ? Have a great Sunday!