Can you help a hummingbird that can’t fly?

Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures, known for their ability to hover and fly backwards. Their wings beat up to 80 times per second, allowing them to float elegantly from flower to flower. But what happens when a hummingbird loses the ability to fly?

Why would a hummingbird not be able to fly?

There are a few reasons why a hummingbird might lose its ability to fly:

• Injury – Hummingbirds can injure their wings by flying into windows, cars, fences, etc. A damaged wing prevents them from flying properly.
• Illness – Diseases like avian pox can leave hummingbirds too weak to fly. And if a hummingbird doesn’t eat regularly, it won’t have the energy to stay airborne.
• Age – Older hummingbirds’ wings become less efficient over time. Their flight muscles deteriorate with age.
• Weather – Cold temperatures can cause torpor, a temporary state of decreased physiological activity. Torpid hummingbirds often fall to the ground.

Any of these factors can result in a grounded hummingbird that is unable to take flight on its own power.

How can you tell if a hummingbird can’t fly?

Here are some signs that a hummingbird is unable to fly:

• Sitting on the ground or low branches for extended periods
• Moving around on the ground by walking/hopping instead of flying
• Flapping or fluttering wings rapidly but not lifting off the ground
• Breathing heavily with beak open
• Wings drooping or held at odd angles
• Feathers damaged, worn, or missing
• Weak, uncoordinated movements overall

A hummingbird that exhibits any of these symptoms likely has an underlying issue that prevents it from flying properly. Grounded hummingbirds are often emaciated from lack of food and at risk of predators.

Can a hummingbird recover from inability to fly?

With prompt care and rehabilitation, many hummingbirds can recover flight ability after being grounded. Here are a few factors that influence prognosis:

• Cause – Hummingbirds grounded due to injury, illness or old age have a better chance at recovering flight than permanently disabled birds.
• Duration – The longer a hummingbird remains flightless, the poorer its prognosis. Muscle atrophy sets in quickly.
• Age – Younger hummingbirds can better regain strength and stamina needed to fly.
• Overall health – Hummingbirds weakened by prolonged lack of food are less likely to bounce back.

With adequate nutrition, physical therapy and monitoring, rehabilitation can take 2-6 weeks. However, some underlying conditions like irreparable wing damage may prevent the bird from flying again.

How can you help a grounded hummingbird?

Here are some steps you can take to assist a hummingbird that cannot fly:

1. Gently pick up the bird and place it in a ventilated box or paper bag. Avoid handling the wings.
2. Provide sugar water for immediate nutrition. Use a dropper to place drops along the beak.
3. Keep the bird in a warm, dark, quiet space to minimize stress.
4. Contact a wildlife rehabilitator or avian vet right away.
5. Follow expert instructions for supportive care and rehabilitation.
6. Allow several weeks for recovery in a suitable cage before release.
7. Monitor for readiness by testing hovering, flying short distances, and gaining altitude.

With proper short-term care and long-term rehabilitation, many grounded hummingbirds can get back their hovering, backward flight and other amazing aerial abilities.

What do hummingbirds need to be able to fly?

Hummingbirds have several key requirements in order to achieve and sustain flight:

• Energy – Hummingbirds have very high metabolisms and burn calories rapidly while flying. They must eat often (every 10-15 minutes) to power flight. Lack of food causes fatigue.
• Strong wings – Their specially adapted wings, bones and muscles allow the high-speed rotation needed for hovering and agile maneuvers. Injury can impair function.
• Ideal weight – Excess weight adds an energy burden and limits aerial agility. Being underweight also diminishes stamina.
• Balance and stability – Excellent coordination is required to control rapid direction changes. Anything disrupting balance hinders flight.
• Aerodynamic shape – Their streamlined body profile minimizes drag while flying. Even small disruptions like a bent beak reduce efficiency.

If any of these requirements are compromised, through illness, injury, age or environmental factors, a hummingbird can lose its incredible flight capabilities until the underlying issues are resolved.

What is the outlook for a hummingbird that can’t fly?

A grounded hummingbird unable to meet its high energy demands faces a grim outlook in the wild. However, with human intervention, the prognosis can be hopeful. Key considerations include:

• Without help, up to 75% may die within 3 days. Survival depends on the underlying cause and duration grounded.
• With supportive care, 30-50% may fully recover flight ability after 2-6 weeks rehabilitation.
• Young birds have higher recovery rates than older hummingbirds.
• Wing injuries may leave some birds permanently unable to fly. They may be flightless for life.
• With long-term care, disabled hummingbirds can survive but likely in captivity, not in the wild.

While still dependent and vulnerable, a hummingbird’s fate is hopeful in responsible, caring hands. But without human help, loss of flight can too often be a death sentence.

Can hummingbirds live without flying?

Hummingbirds are designed for flight – their survival depends on it. However, with significant human care, some hummingbirds can adapt to life without flying in certain situations:

• Permanent aviaries/enclosures allow flightless birds to experience supervised outdoor access.
• Enhanced nutrition and dietary supplements support health without foraging.
• Modified housing accommodates disabled birds that cannot perch or hover.
• Physical therapy can help preserve muscle tone and limited mobility.
• Advancing age eventually ends flight for all hummingbirds, both wild and captive.

While flying is central to hummingbirds, with intense support, some can live for months or years grounded. But full-time rehabilitation care is demanding, and euthanasia may be considered for quality of life.

This table compares average lifespan for hummingbirds in the wild vs captivity. Captive hummingbirds commonly live much longer, but their advanced age often brings disability and loss of flight.

Should you try to return a flightless hummingbird to the wild?

Releasing a hummingbird that cannot fly or self-sustain back to the wild is controversial and typically not recommended by experts. Considerations include:

• The bird likely lacks skills needed to survive outdoors – evading predators, competing for food, weather endurance, etc.
• Physical limitations make it vulnerable to danger – inability to escape threats, reach food/water, etc.
• Acclimation to humans may diminish wariness toward potential capture.
• Raising hopes for return to nature should be balanced with realistic prospects for survival.
• Temporary aviary transition may help assess readiness but is still risky.

Sometimes euthanasia may be a more ethical option than release. Quality of life in controlled setting may be greater than harshness of the wild. Each bird’s case merits careful evaluation of chances for thriving versus suffering.

Conclusion

Losing the ability to fly leaves hummingbirds highly vulnerable. Their survival depends on compensating for everything flight provides. With prompt, compassionate assistance, many grounded hummingbirds can be nursed back to flight. Some may adapt to life without flying through long-term human care. While prospects vary, hope exists to help hummingbirds deprived of their magnificent aerial abilities.