Hummingbirds are amazing little birds that are capable of hovering in mid-air and flying backwards, thanks to their incredibly fast wing flapping. Their wings can beat up to 80 times per second, which allows them to demonstrate impressive aerial abilities. But just how many times can a hummingbird flap its wings per minute? Let’s take a closer look at the anatomy and flight dynamics of hummingbirds to better understand their wing flapping capabilities.
Anatomy of Hummingbird Wings
Hummingbirds have very lightweight, narrow wings that enable them to flap at incredibly high frequencies. Their bones are hollow, making their wings extremely light. The wings are also relatively short in relation to their body size compared to other birds. The short and lightweight wings reduce the aerodynamic forces on the upstroke, enabling faster flapping.
The primary flight feathers at the tip of the wing are stiff, while the inner wings have flexible feathers. This allows the wings to twist during each flap to maximize lift generation. Hummingbirds also have large chest muscles relative to their overall size, providing the power needed for rapid wing flapping.
Specialized Joints and Muscles
Hummingbirds have specialized shoulder joints that allow their wings to pivot almost 180 degrees forward and backward during each flap. This enables them to flap their wings not only up and down but also front and back for optimum thrust.
They also have long pectoral muscles that account for up to 25% of their total body weight. To put that into perspective, the pectoral muscles of other birds usually only make up 15 to 20% of their weight. The large muscle mass gives hummingbirds the capacity to flap their wings hundreds of times per second.
Wing Flapping During Hovering Flight
Hummingbirds truly shine in their ability to hover mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings. While hovering, their wings rotate in a horizontal figure-eight pattern. On the downstroke, the wings are angled slightly backward to generate lift. On the upstroke, the wings twist forward into a leading-edge-up orientation.
This motion maximizes lift while minimizing drag throughout the entire flapping cycle. The result is the ability to hover with precision as they drink nectar from flowers.
Wing Beat Frequency
So just how fast are their wings flapping during hovering flight? Research has found that smaller hummingbird species flap their wings up to 80 times per second while hovering. Larger species flap around 50 times per second.
For example, a calliope hummingbird beating its wings 80 times per second means its wings complete 80 full forward and backward flaps each second. That’s an astonishing 4,800 flaps per minute!
Supporting Fast Wing Beats
Hummingbirds have extremely high metabolisms that provide energy for their muscles to sustain rapid flapping. They consume up to half their weight in nectar per day to power their wing muscles as well as heart and breathing rates while hovering. Their heart rate can reach as high as 1,200 beats per minute while hovering.
| Hummingbird Species | Wing Beat Frequency While Hovering | Flaps Per Minute |
|---|---|---|
| Calliope Hummingbird | 80 per second | 4,800 |
| Rufous Hummingbird | 55 per second | 3,300 |
| Blue-throated Hummingbird | 50 per second | 3,000 |
This table shows the wing beat frequencies and corresponding flaps per minute for three common hummingbird species while hovering in mid-air.
Flapping During Forward Flight
Hummingbirds can flap their wings at lower frequencies during forward, migratory flight compared to hovering. In wind tunnel tests, hummingbirds were observed flapping around 20 to 40 times per second during forward flight at speeds of 10 to 14 meters per second.
That’s equivalent to 1,200 flaps per minute on the low end and 2,400 flaps per minute at the higher end. So they take advantage of their forward momentum and flap their wings at lower rates to conserve energy.
Stroke Plane Angle
Hummingbirds also adjust the angle of the stroke plane – the plane in which the wings flap up and down – depending on their speed. During slow flight, the stroke plane is more vertical to support hovering. As they accelerate, they gradually sweep their wings forward into a more horizontal position.
This horizontal stroke plane provides forward thrust while also generating some lift to keep them aloft. By optimizing their stroke plane angle, hummingbirds can maximize their propulsion efficiency at various flight speeds.
Wing Twist and Rotation
Their wings also twist during the up and downstrokes to improve efficiency. On the downstroke, extra lift is generated by the wings twisting to a positive angle of attack up to 35 degrees.
On the upstroke, the wings rotate to a neutral or slightly negative angle. This orientation reduces drag during the upstroke while still providing enough lift to keep them in the air.
Summary
In summary, hummingbirds flap their wings at incredibly high frequencies in order to hover and fly in their unique way. While hovering, smaller hummingbird species can flap up to 80 times per second, resulting in 4,800 flaps per minute. Larger species flap around 50 times per second or 3,000 flaps per minute.
This rapid wing flapping enables precision hovering as they drink nectar. During forward flight, they flap their wings between 1,200 and 2,400 times per minute depending on speed by optimizing their stroke plane angle and wing rotation.
Hummingbirds’ specialized skeletal and muscular adaptations allow them to flap hundreds of times per second, demonstrating their dazzling aerial capabilities.
