Hummingbirds are some of the fastest flying birds in the world. Their small size and amazing flying abilities allow them to hover, fly forwards, backwards, upside down, and reach incredible speeds. But just how fast can hummingbirds fly? What is the top speed recorded for these tiny birds?
The Fastest Hummingbird Species
There are over 300 different species of hummingbirds in the world. The species with the fastest recorded flight speed is the Mexican violetear (Colibri thalassinus). Here are some key facts about the Mexican violetear:
- Native to Mexico and Central America
- Medium-sized hummingbird reaching 8-9 cm long
- Mainly green in color with violet ear patches
- Specializes in hovering and sipping nectar from flowers
- Holds the record for fastest ever recorded speed of a hummingbird in horizontal flight
Measuring Hummingbird Speed
Hummingbird flight speed has been measured in two main ways:
- High speed cameras tracking hummingbirds in the wild or aviary
- Wind tunnels experiments with captive hummingbirds
High speed cameras allow researchers to film hummingbirds during natural flight. The cameras record anywhere from 500 to 10,000 frames per second. Analyzing the recordings frame by frame allows researchers to calculate flight speeds. However, it can be challenging to maintain camera focus on a rapidly moving hummingbird in the wild.
Wind tunnel experiments involve training captive hummingbirds to hover in an artificial wind tunnel. By controlling wind speed in the tunnel, researchers can precisely measure the maximum forward flight speed of hummingbirds. The major downside is that this is not natural flight behavior for hummingbirds.
Fastest Ever Recorded Hummingbird Speeds
Here are the top 5 fastest ever recorded hummingbird flight speeds:
| Rank | Species | Speed | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexican violetear | 98.4 km/h (61.1 mph) | High speed camera |
| 2 | Blue-throated hummingbird | 93 km/h (57.8 mph) | Wind tunnel |
| 3 | Rufous hummingbird | 91 km/h (56.5 mph) | High speed camera |
| 4 | Calliope hummingbird | 83 km/h (51.4 mph) | Wind tunnel |
| 5 | Allen’s hummingbird | 82 km/h (50.6 mph) | Wind tunnel |
As you can see, the Mexican violetear holds the record for fastest measured hummingbird flight at 98.4 km/h or 61 mph. This speed was recorded using specialized high speed cameras filming the birds in the wild in 2006.
How Do Hummingbirds Fly So Fast?
Hummingbirds have several unique adaptations that allow them to hover and fly at blistering speeds:
- Rapid wing beating – Hummingbird wings beat up to 80 times per second, the fastest of any bird.
- Rotating wings – Hummingbird wings rotate in a full circle, rather than just flapping up and down like other birds.
- Lightweight – Hummingbirds weigh only 2-20 grams, allowing extreme agility.
- Streamlined – Their small size and streamlined shape minimize drag during flight.
- Powerful muscle – 25-30% of their total body weight is flight muscle, powering their wings.
These characteristics enable hummingbirds to generate the high power needed to hover and accelerate. The wings beat so fast that they create lift on both the downstroke and upstroke.
Fastest Diving Speed
Hummingbirds don’t just fly fast horizontally. They can also dive downwards at incredible speeds.
The fastest recorded diving speed is for the Anna’s hummingbird, which was observed diving over 60 mph at a 45 degree angle, or over 385 body lengths per second. This is the fastest measured dive speed of any vertebrate animal.
How do hummingbirds pull out of these extreme dives without injuring themselves? Researchers found they use an ingenious curling technique, rotating their tails and heads vertically to shed speed before pulling up.
Fastest Acceleration
In addition to top speed, hummingbirds are capable of remarkably fast acceleration. Within the span of two wingbeats, a hummingbird can go from 0 to full speed.
For the Anna’s hummingbird, this means accelerating from 0 to almost 400 body lengths per second in less than a tenth of a second. This extreme acceleration would create G-forces of well over 10 Gs, enough to cause most animals to black out.
Hummingbirds likely have anatomical adaptations to handle these extreme G-forces, such as smaller capillaries that are resistant to collagen failure.
Variation Between Species
While the Mexican violetear holds the overall flight speed record, different hummingbird species have slightly different maximum flight capabilities:
- The bee hummingbird is the smallest species and can beat its wings up to 200 times per second!
- The giant hummingbird is one of the largest and can beat its wings around 12 times per second.
- Smaller hummingbird species tend to be faster in general due to lower body weight.
- Some migrating species like the ruby-throated are specially adapted for endurance at their optimal speed.
However, all hummingbird species share exceptional speed and maneuverability compared to other birds due to their unique adaptations.
Do Hummingbirds Ever Stop Flying?
Hummingbirds are such agile fliers that they even sleep while flying! Here are some facts about how hummingbirds rest:
- They enter a nightly state of torpor, slowing their metabolism and heart rate.
- During torpor, they can remain flying or perch and sleep.
- While sleeping in flight, they glide in straight lines, sometimes dropping altitude.
- If they detect obstacles, they will rapidly wake and avoid collision.
- Male Anna’s hummingbirds defend nests in flight for up to 23 hours a day.
So hummingbirds essentially sleep on the go. They have never been documented sleeping while stationary on a branch or other perch through an entire night.
Conclusion
In summary, hummingbirds are perfectly adapted for speed and agility in flight. The Mexican violetear tops out at a recorded 61 mph in level flight, while the Anna’s hummingbird can dive over 60 mph and pull extreme G-forces when accelerating. Even while sleeping, these tiny birds stay airborne through an incredible combination of rapid wing beats, rotational wings, streamlined bodies, and extreme musculature.
