Short · Nature

How does a hummingbird hover?

Name: How does a hummingbird hover?
Uploaded: 2026-10-12
Duration: PT30.21S
Description: Hummingbird wings sweep forward and back about 50 times a second, flipping over at each end so both strokes push air down. In real birds the back stroke gives about a quarter of the lift.

Hummingbird wings sweep forward and back about 50 times a second, flipping over at each end so both strokes push air down. In real birds the back stroke gives about a quarter of the lift.

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Transcript

How does a hummingbird hang perfectly still in the air? It doesn't flap up and down like a pigeon. Its wings sweep forward and back, about fifty times a second, tracing a flat figure eight. At the end of each sweep, the wing flips over, so the back stroke pushes air down too. Now stop the flip. The back stroke now pushes the wrong way. In real hummingbirds, the back stroke gives about a quarter of the lift. Try it yourself at Explainer Tools dot com.