Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards. Hummingbirds have a unique ball and socket joint at the shoulder that allows the bird to rotate its wings 180 degrees in all directions. The shape of their wings are long, narrow and tapered, which allows them to move more quickly and easily through the air. Additionally, the shoulder and elbow joints of the wing are very close to their tiny bodies, allowing the wings to tilt and pivot. These characteristics allow hummingbirds to change flight directions in a way other birds cannot.
These birds have a unique wing structure and muscles which gives them a high level of flight control which lacks in other birds. Just like a helicopter, a hummingbird can fly forward and backwards, diagonally, left to right, right to the left and even hover. Hummingbirds produce 25% of the weight support during an upstroke and 75% during a downstroke; with its wings making figure-eight motions.
The majority of birds fly with downstrokes and upstrokes, and they generate their lifts and power with each stroke. Hummingbirds instead stroke their wings backwards and forward, pivoting about one hundred and eighty degrees at their shoulders to rotate their wings. They can generate lifts for both backward and forward strokes with the tip of their wings tracing a horizontal figure-eight with each beat. A minute twist changes the wing’s angle and the direction of the flight.
Credit : WorldAtlas
Picture Credit : Google
