The Hummingbird

• Hummingbirds can fly right, left, up, down, backwards, even upside down. While other birds get their flight power from the down-stroke only, hummingbirds have strength on the up-stroke as well.
• A hummingbird’s wing is flexible at the shoulder, but inflexible at the wrist.
• Most experts think the average lifespan of a hummingbird is 3 or 4 years.
• Most hummingbirds flap their wings about 50 or so times a second. This means all we can see is a blur. The Magnificent Hummingbird is an exception; sometimes it flaps its wings slow enough for individual wing beats to be perceived.
• The tiny feet of hummingbirds are almost useless except for perching; if hummingbirds want to travel two inches, they must fly. Hummingbirds lift from perches without having to push off; they rise entirely on their own power, flapping their wings at almost full speed before lifting off. Thought they fly very fast, they can suddenly stop and make a soft landing. They are so light they do not build up much momentum.

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