The hummingbird is one of the most remarkable creatures on Earth. Its ability to hover mid-air and change directions instantaneously make it one of the most agile flyers. This has led many to speculate that the hummingbird must be the fastest animal in the world. In this article, we will examine the evidence and compare the hummingbird’s speed to that of other contenders for the title of “world’s fastest animal”.
How Fast Can Hummingbirds Fly?
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards. They can also fly upside down and float in mid-air. This is due to their ability to rapidly beat their wings up to 80 times per second. This allows them to create the lift required to hover and maneuver with precision.
In a courtship dive display, male hummingbirds have been observed to reach top speeds of almost 60 mph or 97 km/h. However, these dives last less than a second. Scientists estimate that hummingbirds can sustain flight at speeds of 34-40 mph (55-65 km/h) when migrating over long distances.
The following are some of the factors that allow hummingbirds to fly so fast:
- Lightweight – Hummingbird bones are hollow, making up only 4% of their total body weight. This allows them to move their wings quickly with little effort.
- Powerful flight muscles – Up to 25% of a hummingbird’s total weight is flight muscle. This gives them tremendous power in a very small package.
- Large hearts – A hummingbird’s heart accounts for 2.4% of its body weight. This allows for rapid oxygen circulation while flying.
- Metabolism – Hummingbirds have one of the highest metabolism rates among vertebrates. The rapid conversion of sugars to energy powers their flight.
So while hummingbirds can only reach their top speeds of 60 mph briefly, they consistently fly faster than most birds for extended periods.
How Does the Hummingbird Compare to Other Fast Flyers?
The hummingbird’s sustained flying speed of 34-40 mph is still extremely impressive when compared to other flying animals. Here’s how they match up against some of the other contenders for the title of world’s fastest flyer:
| Animal | Top Speed |
|---|---|
| Peregrine falcon | 240 mph |
| Golden eagle | 150 mph |
| White-throated needletail (swift) | 105 mph |
| Eurasian hobby (falcon) | 100 mph |
| Hummingbird | 60 mph |
| Chimney swift | 35 mph |
As the table shows, the Peregrine falcon is the clear winner when it comes to peak flight speed. However, falcons achieve these speeds during fast dives when swooping down on prey. They cannot sustain flight at anywhere close to 240 mph.
Hummingbirds match or exceed the cruising speeds of all birds other than swifts. The White-throated Needletail has been measured at a remarkable 105 mph in a steep dive. However, scientists estimate their normal flying speed is around 70 mph. So while not the absolute speed champion, hummingbirds are still faster than all other birds and insects when it comes to sustained flight.
How Do Hummingbirds Compare to Insects?
When it comes to insect flight, bees and flies are the front runners. Let’s see how they compare:
| Animal | Top Speed |
|---|---|
| Mexican free-tailed bat | 100 mph |
| Dragonfly | 56 mph |
| Hummingbird | 60 mph |
| Honey bee | 15 mph |
| Fruit fly | 5.6 mph |
The Mexican free-tailed bat is the fastest flying mammal, reaching recorded speeds of over 100 mph in a dive. Among insects, dragonflies are the speed demons, topping out at around 56 mph.
Once again, the hummingbird holds its own against all competitors other than the Mexican free-tailed bat when it comes to sustainable flight speed. Pretty impressive for a creature that weighs less than a nickel!
What Is the Fastest Animal on Earth?
The hummingbird can sustain flight speeds faster than most birds and insects. But what about other animals? When it comes to absolute speed on land, in the water or in the air, here are some of the standouts:
| Animal | Top Speed |
|---|---|
| Peregrine falcon | 240 mph |
| Sailfish | 68 mph |
| Cheetah | 61 mph |
| Hummingbird | 60 mph |
| Brown long-eared bat | 59 mph |
| Przewalski’s horse | 55 mph |
For absolute speed, the Peregrine falcon is unmatched, diving at over 200 mph to catch prey. The fastest marine animal is the sailfish, clocked at a blistering 68 mph in short bursts. On land, the Cheetah is king, running at a blinding 61 mph to catch its next meal.
Once again, the hummingbird holds its own with a top speed of 60 mph. While not the fastest overall, it is the undisputed champion of sustained flight speed in hovering birds.
The Unique Flight Abilities of Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds have the most unique flight abilities of all birds:
- They are the only birds that can fly backwards
- They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12-80 times per second
- They can precisely control their position during hovering, even in gusty conditions
- They have the ability to rotate their wings in a full circle
- They can fly upside down for brief periods
This allows hummingbirds to do aerial maneuvers that no other birds can match. Their sustained speed is faster than all other birds aside from swifts. So while they don’t quite clinch the title of world’s fastest flyer, hummingbirds have earned their reputation as one of nature’s most remarkable aviators.
Hummingbird Flight is Rapid But Highly Precise
What is equally impressive about hummingbirds, besides their speed, is their aerial agility and precision. They can precisely control their position down to a fraction of an inch, even while hovering. And they achieve this through incredibly rapid adjustments – male Anna’s hummingbirds have been documented making over 26 adjustments per second while feeding!
This ability allows hummingbirds to perfectly maneuver around flowers as they gather nectar. They also use their precision flying to impress females during courtship displays. It enables them to establish breeding territories around feeders and blooming plants.
In conditions with winds gusting up to 54 mph, hummingbirds are able to remain stationary and suspended in front of flowers as they feed. Their unique shoulder joint allows them to rotate their wings in a nearly complete circle. This gives them great control of the angles of lift and thrust required to compensate for wind currents.
So while other birds may match hummingbirds in speed over short bursts, none can rival their sustained speed and precision during hovering flight. It is this unique skill that enables hummingbirds to utilize food sources unusable by other birds, pollinating flowers in the process.
Why Do Hummingbirds Have Such Remarkable Speed and Maneuverability?
Hummingbirds have evolved unique adaptations to achieve their flying skills:
Skeletal Adaptations
- Hummingbird bones are incredibly lightweight – they make up only 4% of their total body weight
- Their flexible spine allows twisting and turning during flight
- Their wing-shoulder joint has greater mobility for more control over wing movement
Muscular Adaptations
- Up to 25% of their body weight is pectoral (chest) muscle, allowing powerful wing strokes
- They have proportionately enormous breast muscles for their size
- Their muscles are dense with mitochondria for energy production
Physiological Adaptations
- An extremely high metabolism that can double at rest while hovering
- A heart rate of 1260 bpm while flying (200 at rest)
- Special hemoglobin to enhance oxygen delivery during flight
- High efficiency kidneys to eliminate waste without requiring extra water
These evolutionary adaptations enable hummingbirds to achieve their trademark hovering flight and sustained speed that is unmatched in the bird world.
How Do Hummingbirds Hover and Maneuver So Quickly?
Hummingbirds are incredible to watch as they hover mid-air and perform aerobatics around flowers. But how exactly do they accomplish this?
It comes down to two primary abilities:
- Generating lift – Hummingbirds can rapidly flap their wings 12-80 times per second. This creates enough lift for the bird to hover in place.
- Controlling torque – Hummingbirds finely adjust the symmetrical and asymmetrical motions of their wings to control their body orientation and rotation.
Other birds also generate lift by flapping. But hummingbirds have anatomical adaptations that allow for much greater lift generation:
- Their wings, shaped like airplane propellors, provide lift both during the downstroke and upstroke.
- They have very large pectoral muscles for their small size, allowing more powerful strokes.
- Their bones and feathers are incredibly lightweight, requiring less energy to move quickly.
These adaptations give hummingbirds a lift-to-weight ratio of 1.6:1, the highest of any bird. This enables them to create enough lift to hover.
Controlling their body motion and torque during hovering takes incredibly fast and minuscule adjustments of wing position:
- Wings forward = body moves forward
- Wings back = body moves backward
- Right wing forward + left back = body yaws right
- Left wing forward + right back = body yaws left
Hummingbirds coordinate these precise wing adjustments up to 26 times per second! This happens instinctively at incredibly fast speeds allowing them to hover and dart from flower to flower.
Conclusion
While the Peregrine falcon can dive at higher absolute speeds, hummingbirds are unmatched when it comes to sustained hovering flight. Their ability to fly faster than other birds and insects for extended periods is incredible.
What’s even more extraordinary is their maneuverability. Hummingbirds can hover in place and also fly backwards, upside-down, and in tight circles. No other birds can match their precision flying abilities.
This agility comes from evolved anatomy including lightweight bones, large flight muscles, and rotational shoulders. Combined with physiological adaptations like fast metabolism and rapid heart rate, hummingbirds are high-performance flying machines.
So the next time you see a hummingbird buzz by, remember you are witnessing one of nature’s fastest aviators displaying an incredible flying ability unmatched in the natural world.
