Hummingbirds are some of the fastest flying birds in the world. Their small size and fast flapping wings allow them to hover in place and fly forwards, backwards, and upside down with incredible speed and agility. But just how fast can hummingbirds travel?
Cruising Speed
During normal forward flight, or cruising flight, hummingbirds beat their wings around 50 times per second. This allows them to propel themselves forward at speeds typically ranging from 25 to 30 miles per hour.
The exact cruising speed depends on the species. For example, the average cruising speed of an Anna’s hummingbird is around 27 mph, while the ruby-throated hummingbird can cruise at around 25 mph. Larger hummingbird species like the giant hummingbird have been recorded cruising at speeds over 35 mph.
During cruising flight, each wingbeat covers around 13 degrees of arc. This relatively small wing movement minimizes energy expenditure, allowing the hummingbird to efficiently maintain its speed over long distances.
Maximum Diving Speed
Hummingbirds can reach much faster speeds when diving swiftly downward through the air. By streamlining their bodies and holding their wings tightly against their sides, they can accelerate to impressive speeds during these steep dives.
The highest recorded diving speed for a hummingbird is around 60 mph. However, they are capable of diving even faster. Estimates based on extrapolating from wind tunnel tests suggest hummingbirds may be able to briefly reach diving speeds of over 75 mph.
The Anna’s hummingbird has been specifically recorded diving at speeds of over 60 mph. Male Anna’s hummingbirds often perform high speed dive displays as part of their mating ritual. This indicates that faster diving may have evolved partly for competitive sexual display purposes.
Dive Display Speed
During mating courtship displays, male Anna’s hummingbirds dive from around 100 feet in the air and pass within inches of females at speeds exceeding 60 mph. The chirp their tail feathers produce at high speeds generates a loud sound audible even to humans.
This dangerous dive display allows females to assess male fitness. The speed and power required to perform the dive is a sign of good health and advanced flying capabilities.
Horizontal Speed Bursts
Hummingbirds can also perform short rapid horizontal bursts at high speed while chasing insects or moving between flowers. These horizontal bursts may reach speeds above 40 mph.
One study that measured the velocity of hummingbird wings during horizontal burst found peak instantaneous wingtip velocity exceeding 400 mph! This happened despite the overall forward velocity of the hummingbird being much lower.
During burst acceleration, hummingbirds radically increase their wingbeat frequency up to around 100 beats per second. This allows them to generate the extra lift and thrust needed for rapid speed increases in any direction.
Hovering and Backwards Flight Speed
In addition to forward flight, hummingbirds are also capable of hovering in place by rapidly beating their wings back and forth rather than up and down. They can also fly backwards by changing the angle of their wings.
The wingtip speed required for hovering is around 70 mph. Backwards flight requires wingtips to reach 90 mph. Again, hummingbirds achieve this by increasing wingbeat frequency, often to around 80 beats per second for sustained backwards flight.
By adjusting wing angle and direction on each beat, hummingbirds can combine hovering and backwards flight to move smoothly in any direction while maintaining full control of their position.
Slow-Motion Hummingbird Footage
High-speed slow motion footage has provided new insights into hummingbird flight mechanics and maximum flight speeds:
- Slow motion videos reveal complex figure-8 wingtip movement patterns that optimize lift.
- Wing beats transition seamlessly from hover mode to forward flight mode and back again.
- Burst acceleration footage shows hummingbirds reaching peak instantaneous velocities that are much higher than their overall forward speed.
Analysis of 2000+ FPS slow motion footage has enabled more accurate measurements of wing position at all stages of hummingbird flight cycles. This has uncovered new details about the aerodynamics that allow hummingbirds to hover and accelerate so effortlessly.
Factors Influencing Speed
Several factors influence hummingbird flight speed capabilities:
Size
Smaller hummingbird species have higher wingbeat frequencies and are more maneuverable, but larger species can generate more power and fly faster over long distances.
Age and Health
Juvenile hummingbirds fly more slowly than mature adults. Sick or injured hummingbirds also fly more slowly due to decreased muscle power output.
Weather Conditions
Rain, wind, and extreme heat or cold raise energy costs of flight and require more hovering and slowing down. Headwinds directly reduce ground speeds.
Altitude
Thinner air at higher elevation makes flying more difficult. Hummingbirds fly slower at altitude until adapting to the thinner air over time.
Unique Flying Abilities
Hummingbirds stand out from all other birds for their unique ability to:
- Hover in place by rapidly beating their wings forwards and backwards.
- Fly smoothly backwards by changing the angle of their wings.
- Maintain control and stabilize their position while flying slowly or hovering.
- Rapidly accelerate and change direction in any direction.
No other birds combine these capabilities to the degree hummingbirds do. The physical adaptations that enable such precise agility and speed include:
- Lightweight body and wings.
- Aerodynamic streamlined shape.
- Rotation of their wings in full circles during each beat.
- Ability to alter the angle of each wing independently.
- Respiratory and circulatory systems optimized for sustained exertion.
These characteristics allow hummingbirds to achieve their record acceleration rates and sustained cruising speeds despite their incredibly small size.
Conclusion
In summary, hummingbird flight speed is extremely variable. During routine forward flight they cruise at 25-30 mph. Maximum diving speeds may exceed 75 mph. Bursts and hovering require wingtips to reach velocities of over 400 mph, enabling starting and stopping and rapid multi-directional movement.
Slow motion footage has revealed the complex aerodynamics hummingbirds have evolved to maximize their speed, efficiency, and aerial maneuverability. Sustained rapid wing beats over 70 times per second allow hummingbirds to fly like no other bird.
