As some of the smallest birds on planet earth, hummingbirds are incredibly cute. Their colorful iridescent feathers also make them exceptionally beautiful to look at. But when your wings beat at a rate of 50 times per second, you can get tired out pretty quickly. And because of that, hummingbird metabolisms are the highest of all animals that maintain a constant internal body temperature.

These beautiful birds get their names from the humming sound their wings make when beating fast. These unique birds are the only birds that can fly backwards. As if you weren’t mesmerized by them already, they weigh less than a nickel.

Pixabay

When night falls however, these wonderful birds have to take a break from their vigorous daily life.

In order to properly rest, they enter a state called ‘torpor.’ This resting state is closer to hibernation than sleep, and during this time body temperature, breathing rate, and heart rate all decrease dramatically to help preserve energy. In order to wake themselves back up, they begin to breath deeply to start restoring their oxygen supply.

Screen Shot: YouTube/BBC

So if you ever see or hear a hummingbird “snoring,” just remember that it’s just trying to get itself ready for another full day of zipping around and sucking up sugary nectar.

Take a look at the video to see for yourself!