Hummingbirds are amazing creatures. They are the smallest birds in the world, yet they are able to hover in midair, fly backwards, and fly at speeds of over 50 mph. Their wings beat so fast that sometimes you can barely see them move. So just how fast are a hummingbird’s wings beating? How many times can they flap their wings in a minute? Let’s take a closer look at the incredible flying abilities of hummingbirds.
Quick Answer
On average, a hummingbird flaps its wings around 50-80 times per second. That translates to 3,000-4,800 wing flaps per minute!
How Hummingbird Wings Work
A hummingbird’s wings are uniquely adapted for sustained hovering. Their wings are relatively short and broad, and they rotate at the shoulder to allow for excellent maneuverability. As the leading edge of the wing moves upward, it rotates so that the wing is nearly parallel to the ground, giving it the ideal angle to generate lift on both the upstroke and downstroke.
The hummingbird’s shoulder and wings are powered by strong chest (pectoral) muscles that account for 25-30% of their total body weight. For comparison, a peregrine falcon’s flight muscles only make up 15% of its body mass. This large muscle mass allows hummingbirds to beat their wings rapidly.
Wingbeat Frequency
During hovering flight, a hummingbird’s wings beat forwards and backwards in a figure eight pattern. Depending on the species, wingbeat frequency during hovering ranges from 20 beats per second in larger hummingbird species to an astounding 80 beats per second in smaller hummingbirds.
Here are some typical wingbeat frequencies for common North American hummingbird species:
Species | Wingbeat Frequency (beats/second) |
---|---|
Ruby-throated Hummingbird | 53 |
Black-chinned Hummingbird | 55 |
Anna’s Hummingbird | 48 |
Rufous Hummingbird | 42 |
Calliope Hummingbird | 75 |
The Calliope Hummingbird, which weighs just 2-3 grams, has the fastest known wingbeat of any bird. Their tiny wings beat up to 75 times per second! This allows them to efficiently hover and maintain control even in gusty conditions.
Wing Aerodynamics
The unique anatomy of hummingbird wings optimizes lift production, strength, and stability during hovering. Here are some key features:
- Their lightweight, hollow bones minimize the energy needed to flap their wings.
- The hand-wing has flexible joints that allow for twisting and rotation.
- The wings are elliptical in cross-section, which improves air circulation and lift production.
- The wingtips generate vortices that provide stability and control during hovering.
- Feathers at the wrist joint form a “spoiler” that improves aerodynamic control.
Researchers have found that hummingbird wings are so perfectly adapted to hover in midair that they make the most of every wingbeat. No energy is wasted flapping their wings back and forth at blinding speeds.
Converting Wingbeats to Flaps Per Minute
To convert the wingbeat frequency range of 20 to 80 beats per second into flaps per minute, we simply multiply by 60 seconds:
20 beats/second x 60 seconds = 1,200 flaps/minute
80 beats/second x 60 seconds = 4,800 flaps/minute
So for an average hummingbird flapping its wings around 50 times per second, the number of flaps per minute would be:
50 beats/second x 60 seconds = 3,000 flaps/minute
Therefore, we can estimate that an average hummingbird flaps its wings about 3,000-4,800 times per minute during hovering flight.
The Calliope Hummingbird, flapping at 75 beats per second, takes it to the extreme with 4,500 flaps per minute!
Number of Flaps to Hover
Hummingbirds must beat their wings rapidly just to stay hovering in one place. Here are some estimates for the number of wing flaps required for a hummingbird to hover in place for one minute:
Species | Wingbeat Frequency | Flaps/Minute | Flaps/Minute to Hover |
---|---|---|---|
Ruby-throated Hummingbird | 53 beats/second | 3,180 | 3,180 |
Black-chinned Hummingbird | 55 beats/second | 3,300 | 3,300 |
Rufous Hummingbird | 42 beats/second | 2,520 | 2,520 |
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird must flap its tiny wings over 3,000 times just to hover for one minute! It’s no wonder hummingbirds need to consume half their weight in nectar each day to power this kind of flight.
How Many Miles of Flapping
Let’s also look at estimating how many total miles a hummingbird flaps its wings in its lifetime. Some assumptions:
- Average wingspan of 3.5 inches
- Average flap travels 7 inches back and forth
- Average lifetime of 3-5 years
- Flaps wings equivalent of hovering 1-2 hours per day
For simplicity, let’s calculate for one hour of hovering flight each day.
3,000 flaps per minute x 60 minutes = 180,000 flaps per hour
At 7 inches per flap, 180,000 flaps would equal:
180,000 x 7 inches = 1,260,000 inches flapped per hour
Which converts to:
1,260,000 inches / 12 inches/foot = 105,000 feet flapped per hour
For one hour of flight time per day, over a five year lifetime at 105,000 feet per hour:
105,000 feet x 1 hour x 365 days x 5 years = 191,625,000 feet flapped in a lifetime
Converting to miles:
191,625,000 feet / 5,280 feet/mile = 36,250 miles flapped!
That’s over 36,000 miles of hovering flight for just 1 hour of flapping per day over a 5 year lifespan. Considering hummingbirds may flap for many hours throughout the day, they could easily flap their wings for hundreds of thousands of miles in their short lifetimes!
Comparing Hummingbird and Insect Wingbeats
Hummingbirds flap their wings incredibly fast, but how does their wingbeat frequency compare to insects?
Animal | Wingbeat Frequency |
---|---|
Hummingbird | 20 – 80 beats/second |
Honeybee | 230 beats/second |
Fruit Fly | 200 beats/second |
Mosquito | 600 beats/second |
While hummingbirds flap incredibly fast compared to other birds, tiny insects like mosquitos and flies actually beat their wings even faster!
A mosquito’s wings can flutter at up to 600 beats per second, or 36,000 beats per minute. That’s more than 10 times faster than a hummingbird’s flapping speed. However, the velocity and power output of a hummingbird’s flapping is vastly greater than a mosquito due to their much larger wingspan and muscle mass.
Mid-air Maneuvers
During hovering flight, hummingbirds flap their wings in a symmetrical figure eight pattern to stay in one place. However, they can perform various mid-air stunts and maneuvers by altering their wing trajectory:
- Flying backwards – By changing wing angle and direction on forward stroke compared to backstroke.
- Fast acceleration – Increase flapping speed and amplitude of their wingbeats to quickly gain speed.
- Turning – Rotate or angle their body into the turn and alter left/right wing beats to steer.
- Swift dodging – Adjust wing angles, plane, and speed to quickly dart and change direction with precision.
This maneuverability allows hummingbirds to elegantly and precisely control their flight to track down food, court mates, and evade predators.
Slow Motion Hummingbird Maneuvers
High speed cameras have captured mesmerizing slow motion videos of hummingbirds performing mid-air stunts and maneuvers in incredible detail. Here are some fantastic examples:
Backwards Flight
Watch as this Anna’s hummingbird flies backwards by reversing its wing angle and direction on each stroke.
Mid-air Turn
See how this hummingbird angles its body and adjusts wing position to execute a smooth mid-hover turn.
Rapid Acceleration
Watch this Allen’s hummingbird accelerate from hover to top speed by amping up its wingbeats.
With their precision flying skills, it’s no wonder hummingbirds are able to navigate dense forests and fields at top speeds while locating flower nectar with ease!
Conclusion
Hummingbirds are aerial masters – their tiny wings can beat up to 80 times per second, hovering them in place as they lap up nectar. At around 50 flaps per second or 3,000 per minute on average, hummingbirds achieve the highest known wingbeat frequency of any bird. While tiny insects may technically flap faster, a hummingbird’s much larger wings allow it to hover with control and achieve blazing acceleration.
Next time you see a hummingbird effortlessly hovering at your feeder, remember that its wings are beating over 50 times each second! These ultra-fast flappers have evolved for non-stop hovering and maneuvering to help them thrive across the Americas.