Flight of the Hummingbird
DID YOU KNOW
that a hummingbird can fly upside down? In fact, it can fly in any position and direction. Birds typically get liftoff and speed when the wings flap downward but hummingbirds get strength in speed and liftoff with both their upward and downward wing flaps.
The tiny feet of hummingbirds are almost useless. If hummingbirds want to travel two inches, they must fly, as hopping isn’t possible. Hummingbirds lift from perches without pushing off; they rise entirely on their own power, flapping their wings at almost full speed before lifting off.
When hovering, hummingbirds hold their bodies upright and flap their wings horizontally in a shallow figure-8. As the wings swing back they tilt flat for a moment before the wings are drawn forward. It is the same way an oar is used in water to still a kayak or canoe. Watch the video below to see the movement. Most hummingbirds flap their wings about 50 or so times a second. This means all we can see is a blur.