Birds age exceptionally slowly compared to other animals, learning advanced information to prolong human health from the study of short-lived laboratory species like fruit flies and mice, which continues to dominate medical research.
The hummingbird is around the size of a penny in weight. It needs so much energy to be active that it needs to consume up to several times its own weight in food each day to keep from being hungry. There has been some research on the aging processes of birds, but it has never been as extensive or long-lasting as it would have been if we were looking into them to avoid cancer. Research funds would be well spent on a Manhattan Project to comprehend birds’ remarkably slow aging and capacity to maintain strength and endurance throughout life.
Source https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/what-bird-longevity-might-teach-us-about-human-health/
