Ruby-throated hummingbirds are known for their incredibly fast wing beats. Their wings can beat up to 53 times per second, allowing them to hover in place and fly backwards with ease. But just how fast are their wings moving? Here we’ll explore the mechanics behind hummingbird flight and the incredible speeds their wings can reach.
Wing Anatomy
To understand how hummingbirds move their wings so rapidly, it helps to first look at the anatomy of their wings:
- Their wings are relatively short and broad compared to other birds.
- The bones in their wings are extremely lightweight, making them easy to flap quickly.
- Flight muscles make up around 25-30% of their total body weight. These large, powerful muscles rapidly contract and relax to move the wings.
- Their shoulder joints allow their wings to rotate in almost all directions – up, down, forward, backward. This gives them great maneuverability.
- Most of their feathers are stiff and blade-like which reduces drag while flapping at high speeds.
With these anatomical adaptations, hummingbirds are uniquely suited for fast, agile flight.
Wing Stroke
During each wing stroke, a hummingbird’s wings move through two phases:
- Downstroke – The wings flap downwards, pushing air underneath them. This creates the lift and thrust to propel the bird upwards and forwards.
- Upstroke – The wings then quickly rotate at the shoulder and flap upwards. During this phase, the wings are angled to reduce drag and minimize downward forces.
This two-part oscillation allows air to effectively flow over the wings in only one direction, eliminating backflow and maximizing lift on each stroke. By flapping their wings forwards and backwards in a figure-8 motion, hummingbirds can generate enough lift to hover and even fly backwards if needed.
Wingbeat Frequency
The wingbeat frequency measures how many times a hummingbird flaps its wings per second. This directly relates to how fast the wings are moving. Here are some key facts about hummingbird wingbeat frequency:
- On average, they beat their wings around 50 times per second.
- The highest recorded frequency is around 200 wingbeats per second, achieved during courtship displays.
- Their rate varies depending on what they are doing – hovering vs forward flight, and courtship displays.
- Smaller hummingbird species tend to beat their wings faster than larger species.
- As body mass increases, wingbeat frequency decreases. The laws of physics make it more difficult for larger animals to flap their wings as rapidly.
By comparison, other bird species flap their wings much slower, typically just 5-15 times per second during flight. No other birds can match the blistering speed of hummingbird wings!
Calculating Wing Tip Speed
We can calculate the speed of the wing tips by looking at the wingbeat frequency and wingspan:
Wing tip speed = Wingspan x Wingbeat frequency x 2
Here’s an example calculation for a typical 3.5 inch ruby-throated hummingbird, flapping at 50 wingbeats per second:
- Wingspan: 3.5 inches = 0.09 m
- Wingbeat frequency: 50 per second
- Calculation: 0.09 m x 50 x 2 = 9 m/s
This means the tips of the wings are moving at an incredible 9 meters per second or 20 miles per hour! And that’s just an average – during display dives the speeds can be twice as fast.
| Hummingbird Species | Wingspan | Wingbeat Frequency | Estimated Wing Tip Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby-throated | 3.5 inches | 50 beats/sec | 20 mph |
| Black-chinned | 4 inches | 55 beats/sec | 25 mph |
| Rufous | 3.75 inches | 60 beats/sec | 24 mph |
| Calliope | 2.5 inches | 70 beats/sec | 19 mph |
This table gives speed estimates for a few common hummingbird species, showing how factors like wingspan and wingbeat frequency affect overall speed.
Slow Motion Video
High speed slow motion video provides the best view of hummingbirds in flight. At 1000+ frames per second, we can observe the precise wing articulation and airflow in detail. The wings become nearly invisible at the top of the upstroke due to the incredible speed. Slowed down 30-40x, the complex figure-8 motion of the wings is revealed. This technology confirms how rapidly these tiny birds can flap their wings.
Unique Adaptations
Hummingbirds have many special adaptations that allow them to flap their wings so fast:
- Lightweight skeleton – Their bones are thin and hollow, minimizing weight.
- Enlarged chest muscles – Up to 30% of their weight is flight muscle, the highest ratio in the bird world.
- Rotating shoulders – Their shoulder joints can rotate almost 360 degrees for maximum maneuverability.
- Low moment of inertia – Their small size and light weight reduces inertia, allowing quicker rotation and acceleration of the wings.
- Aerodynamic feathers – Rigid, blade-like feathers perfectly angled for air resistance reduction.
Without these special design features, hummingbirds could not flap their wings nearly as quickly as they do. They are perfectly adapted to hover and fly with agility unmatched by other birds.
Slow Motion Hummingbird Video
This excellent slow motion video from the BBC’s Natural World reveals ruby-throated hummingbirds flying at 1000 frames per second. You can clearly see the figure-8 wing movement and blurring of the wings on each upstroke. Watch how the hummingbird deftly maneuvers – flying backwards, hovering in place, and rotating on a dime. Truly a visual marvel!
Conclusion
In summary, ruby-throated hummingbirds flap their wings at an astounding rate, beating up to 200 times per second during display dives. This allows their wing tips to reach speeds over 40 miles per hour! To achieve such rapid wing beats, hummingbirds have evolved with compact lightweight bodies, enlarged flight muscles, specialized shoulder joints, and aerodynamically angled feathers. Next time you see a hummingbird buzz by, remember their tiny wings are fluttering faster than you can see!
