Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 00:27:13

Title: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 00:27:13: Just curious thats all!! Do They turn quickly and fly or do they actually fly backwards? How fast also?
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: neilep on 03/01/2007 02:11:06: Yep, hummingbirds I believe are the only birds that can in fact fly backwards.....I have no idea how fast they fly...not very fast I would have thought...(unless you put a rocket up it's bot bot)
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 02:16:01: SIR How did your post get ahead of me original post! EH?? UH OH I changed my profile I bet thats it!
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 02:22:19: OK, they do fly backwards then.. Their wings are moving so fast I would think that has something to do with their ability to hover don't you think!
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: neilep on 03/01/2007 02:54:09: Quote from: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 02:22:19
OK, they do fly backwards then.. Their wings are moving so fast I would think that has something to do with their ability to hover don't you think!

Absolutely...hovering is the key here.....I wonder if they have a little noise that come on when they reverse like lorries do ..you know..."Beep Beep Warning Humming Bird Reversing " ...to warn butterflies and stuff [;D]
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: ukmicky on 03/01/2007 03:19:48: Can't the kestrel fly backwards and hover as well.
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 03:22:11: LOL BACKUP WARNING... LOL I need one of those at school with 30 kids under foot, I swear there have been times when I really needed backup warnings attatched to me as I moved around the room! LOL

I don't think I have ever seen a kestrel!
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: ukmicky on 03/01/2007 03:30:27: you have now :) [ Invalid Attachment ]
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 03:59:55: Wow That is quite a beautiful bird!! Wow!! He looks huge are they nocturnal or not! What an amazing looking bird!!
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: neilep on 03/01/2007 04:26:25: Quote from: ukmicky on 03/01/2007 03:30:27
you have now :) [ Invalid Attachment ]

They are beautiful aren't they ?...I see them often hovering around motorways/Highways.

Michael, I am sure the Kestrel appears to move back because it is pushed by the wind...whereas the humming bird can actually engage a 'reverse ' mode so to speak...!!
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 04:31:49: That is interesting..How wide do you think their wing span is?
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: neilep on 03/01/2007 04:35:21: Quote from: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 04:31:49
That is interesting..How wide do you think their wing span is?

They average about twenty meters !
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 04:43:25: Twenty meters? I need to find the conversion! LOL That about 6ft or what?
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: neilep on 03/01/2007 06:12:28: LOL....just jesting mam....if they were really twenty metres that would make their wingspan over 60 feet..LOL

I just copied and pasted this from wiki for you mam:

Kestrels measure 34-38 cm from head to tail, with a wingspan of 70-80 cm. The average adult male weighs about 155 g, and the female weighs about 190 g
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 06:16:10: WOW THANKS Sir.. Hard night for sleep eh?
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: neilep on 03/01/2007 06:20:34: Quote from: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 06:16:10
WOW THANKS Sir.. Hard night for sleep eh?

I never get to sleep before 10am nowadays..

I really hope we get a definitive answer for you Mam
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 06:27:20: I am sorry about the sleep. Wish it were not so!

IThanks for the wikiup post!
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: neilep on 03/01/2007 06:28:05: found this

Q. What is unusual about a hummingbird's flying?

A. They can fly backwards and upside down and to hover. Few other birds can do any of these things, and none as successfully as the hummingbird.

from here http://www.learner.org/jnorth/search/HummerNotes1.html

There are quite a few HummingBird sites... http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGGL,GGGL:2006-19,GGGL:en&q=+hummingbirds
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 06:33:56: Wings beat from 75 beats per second and up 200 times per second!! wow!
Did you see all the different kinds? THank you Sir.. Very nice!
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 06:35:42: I love Humming birds they are beautiful little birds.. they are always getting in the house here and stranded in my skylight!
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 06:39:16: I wonder if they eat anything else besides nectar!
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: moonfire on 03/01/2007 07:02:44: I love these little fellows..they are adorable and love the way they interact too...
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 03/01/2007 07:52:23: Arent they cute!! We have some very vibrant one here. I think the males are very colorful. and the females are browner in color and more plain looking!
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: moonfire on 04/01/2007 02:14:28: Yes they are!
Title: Re: How fast do hummingbirds fly ? Do they fly backwards also ?
Post by: Karen W. on 04/01/2007 02:57:46: I love hummers TOO!