Their prey is small insects that they catch in flight. They may also eat spiders, larvae, and insect eggs. Insects provide hummingbirds with fats, proteins, and salts that they cannot obtain from nectar.
Some also believe that hummingbirds consume small amounts of ash or sand, perhaps to replenish mineral salts. However, this phenomenon has not been thoroughly studied, and the mere "pecking" of sand may turn out to be simply hunting for the small insects that live in it.
