Hummingbirds are well known for their ability to hover in midair as they feed on flower nectar. Their rapid wing beats and ability to rotate their wings in a full circle enable them to stay suspended in one place for prolonged periods of time. This unique method of flight allows hummingbirds to feed while hovering right in front of flowers, rather than having to perch on branches or feed while in motion like other birds. So what other kinds of birds share the hummingbird’s Impressive hovering capabilities?
Swifts
One bird family that exhibits similar hovering behavior to hummingbirds are the swifts. Like hummingbirds, swifts beat their wings up to 80 times per second, allowing them to stay suspended and hover in midair. There are around 100 different swift species worldwide, including common swifts, chimney swifts, and white-throated swifts. When feeding, swifts will hawk flying insects on the wing or use their aeral maneuverability to pluck spiders right off their webs – all while hovering in place.
Common swifts are found throughout Europe, Asia, and North America during the summer months. They migrate south for winter. Chimney swifts, native to the Americas, are named for their habit of roosting and nesting in old chimneys. White-throated swifts, residents of western North America, nest on cliff faces. Swift’s wings are long, curved, and pointed – an adaptation suited for speed and agility in the air. Their short legs, however, make them awkward on land. Swifts share other similarities with hummingbirds, including small size, aerial habits, and long, forked tails.
Nighthawks
Nighthawks are medium-sized birds in the nightjar family, found throughout North and South America. Like swifts and hummingbirds, nighthawks have long, pointed wings and are incredibly agile flyers. They use their maneuverability to capture flying insects on the wing. Nighthawks are crepuscular – active at dawn and dusk. At night, they can be seen feeding high in the sky, crisscrossing back and forth as they pick insects out of the air. A nighthawk’s erratic flight path while hunting inspired its name.
Several times throughout its feeding, a nighthawk will pause its flight path and hover in place briefly while scoping out prey. The common nighthawk, found throughout North America, is best known for this behavior. During courtship displays, male common nighthawks perform dramatic dives, swoops, and booming noises – all impressive feats of aerial agility. The nighthawk’s ability to hone in on flying insects combined with their nimble maneuvering in flight allows them to successfully hunt from dusk till dawn.
Hummingbird Moths
While not a bird, there is one kind of moth that mimics hummingbird flight patterns – the hummingbird moth. Over a dozen species of these moths occur worldwide, and they are found on every continent except Antarctica. In North America, the two most common types are the snowberry clearwing moth and the five-spotted hawk moth. Hummingbird moths beat their wings up to 70 times per second, allowing them to hover in place while feeding on flower nectar through their long proboscis.
Like hummingbirds, these moths are highly maneuverable flyers. They can fly forwards, backwards, sideways, and even upside down. This gives them access to nectar from flowers inaccessible to many other pollinators. Sometimes hummingbird moths will feed right next to hummingbirds without either being bothered by the other’s presence. These moths owe their name both to their resemblance to hummingbirds and their shared hovering flight capabilities.
Hoverflies
Hoverflies are a large family of flies that mimic bees and wasps in appearance but lack stingers. They are prolific pollinators found worldwide. Over 6000 species of hoverfly exist, and around 200 species are native to North America. Hoverflies are able to stay suspended in place while feeding on flower nectar. The adults drink using a long proboscis, while larvae feed on aphids, thrips, and other plant pests.
Smaller hoverfly species beat their wings at remarkable speeds exceeding 130 times per second, while larger ones only need to beat their wings 28 times per second to hover. Their hovering ability rivals that of hummingbirds. In fact, scientists have studied the aerodynamics of hovering in both hoverflies and hummingbirds to better understand the physics of flight. This research has applications in designing more agile flying robots.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds uniquely exhibit prolonged hovering flight among birds. While no other birds can match their combination of sustained hovering and nimble maneuverability that hummingbirds display, some come close. Swifts, nighthawks, and hoverflies all hover for brief periods while feeding. But they cannot maintain an indefinite hover. Migratory hummingbird species like rufous hummingbirds have been documented hovering for up to an hour without stopping! So while other flyers employ hovering flight to some degree, only hummingbirds have truly mastered the art of sustained, stationary hover.
| Bird/Insect | Hovering Ability |
|---|---|
| Hummingbirds | Extremely skilled – can hover indefinitely |
| Swifts | Skilled – hover briefly while feeding |
| Nighthawks | Moderately skilled – brief hovers when hunting |
| Hummingbird moths | Skilled – hover while feeding on nectar |
| Hoverflies | Skilled – hover briefly to drink nectar |
In summary, while other flying creatures can briefly pause in midair, only hummingbirds truly master sustained hovering flight. Their specialized wings and high metabolism allow them to hover precisely in place for prolonged periods. This gives hummingbirds unique advantages for nectar feeding on flowers where no other bird can linger.
Other Birds With Hovering Ability
While hummingbirds are in a league of their own when it comes to hovering flight, some other birds do exhibit limited hovering capability:
Ospreys
Ospreys are large raptors found worldwide near waterways and coastlines. They eat live fish and possess reversible outer toes that help them grasp slippery prey. Ospreys will hover up to 130 feet above the water scanning for fish below. Once spotted, they dive down feet-first to snatch their prey with their talons.
Kingfishers
Like ospreys, kingfishers are fishing birds that hover while hunting. They perch on branches overhanging the water and dive down to catch small fish and aquatic insects while hovering briefly over the surface. There are over 90 kingfisher species worldwide, known for their bright plumage.
Kestrels
Kestrels are small falcons. The American kestrel is widespread in North America. Kestrels typically perch on powerlines and poles while hunting, but can also hover 20-40 feet off the ground while seeking out prey in the grass below. Kestrel’s hovering flight lasts just a few seconds before diving down on rodents, lizards, and large insects.
Terns
Terns are coastal and inland water birds common along ocean shorelines, rivers, and lakes. They feed on small fish and aquatic invertebrates. Several tern species including Forster’s tern use a limited form of hovering flight to scan for food from above. They will suspend themselves briefly over water while looking for movement below before plunge-diving to catch prey.
Though capable of brief hovering bouts, none of these birds posses the anatomical adaptations that allow hummingbirds to hover for extended periods. Only hummingbirds can truly sustain motionless hover required for specialized nectar-feeding.
Anatomy & Physiology of Hovering Flight
Multiple anatomical and physiological adaptations enable hummingbirds to hover continuously for prolonged periods:
Wing Design
Hummingbird wings are short, rigid, and sharply pointed. They beat their wings in a figure 8 pattern that generates enough lift to keep their body suspended. Unique shoulder joints allow their wings to rotate in a full circle without stopping.
Lightweight Skeleton
A hummingbird’s skeleton represents only 4% of its total body weight. Their bones, including the shoulder joints, are extremely lightweight allowing effortless maneuverability.
Powerful Muscles
Up to 30% of a hummingbird’s total weight is muscle mass. Large pectoral muscles power their wings, allowing wingbeat frequency of up to 80 times per second.
Rapid Metabolism
Hummingbirds have very fast metabolic rates. Their heart rate can reach over 1000 beats per minute. This provides the sustained energy production necessary for prolonged hovering.
Efficient Respiration
Their respiratory system rapidly supplies oxygen to the muscles, while eliminating carbon dioxide waste. Hummingbirds take 250-300 breaths per minute while hovering.
No other birds combine all these specializations to the same degree. Therefore, only hummingbirds have mastered sustained hovering. Their unique flight abilities provide ecological advantages allowing them to exploit food resources unavailable to other birds.
Ecological Advantages of Hovering Flight
The hummingbird’s unparalleled hovering ability offers several key ecological benefits:
Access to Nectar
Hummingbirds can hover precisely in front of flowers, allowing them to extract nectar even from very distant or unusual shaped blossoms. Other birds cannot reach these nectar sources.
Minimized Energy Expenditure
Hovering right by the flower minimizes the energy spent accessing each nectar reward. Other birds use more energy perching and taking off repeatedly.
Flower Specialization
Specialized flower shapes and colors have evolved to attract hummingbirds. Their hovering ability ensures pollination of these specialized flowers.
Interspecies Competition
By claiming certain flower resources, hummingbirds minimize competition with other birds, insects, and bats for nectar access.
So in summary, sustained hovering provides hummingbirds unique ecological advantages. It allows them to claim certain flower energy resources unavailable to other species. This hover specialization has shaped coevolution between hummingbirds and plants.
Specialized Flowers Adapted for Hummingbird Pollination
Many flowering plants have evolved specialized traits to attract hummingbird pollinators:
Tubular Shape
Hummingbird-adapted flowers have a tubular shape that perfectly suits the hummer’s long, slender beak while excluding insects.
Red Color
Hummingbirds see color in the red end of the spectrum. Red flowers target hummingbird vision.
Minimal Scent
Strong scents attract insects. Hummingbird flowers lack scent to avoid attracting bees.
Large Volume of Dilute Nectar
Hummingbird flowers produce relatively large volumes of nectar that is low in sugar concentration compared to bee flowers.
Visible Platform
A visible platform or lip supports the hovering hummer while feeding.
Examples of plants exhibiting these specialized hummingbird-pollinated flowers include bee balm, cardinal flower, columbine, fuchsia, and trumpet vine. The hovering ability of hummingbirds ensures pollination of these uniquely adapted flowers.
Courtship Displays
Male hummingbirds also use hovering displays to attract females:
Aerial Courtship Displays
Males perform aerial shows, flying in loops, dives, and rapid ascents to impress watching females.
Sound Production
Splits in wing feathers produce sounds during dives and ascents. This adds an auditory component to the visual display.
Intrasexual Selection
Females observe and select mates based on their hover-dancing abilities. Better fliers presumably have fitter genes.
By hovering in place, male hummingbirds free up their vision to watch the female’s reaction to their display. Their hover skills allow greater focus on courtship compared to other courting bird species in motion.
Conclusion
No other birds can match hummingbirds in sustaining prolonged, stable hover flight. A few groups like swifts and nighthawks approach some aspects of hummingbird hover abilities. But only hummingbirds truly master stationary hover through specialized wing design, muscle ratio, and fast metabolism.
This one-of-a-kind flying ability provides hummingbirds exclusive access to certain flower nectar resources. Plants in turn have adapted with tubular, scentless, red flowers targetting hummingbird pollinators. And hummingbird hover precision assists courtship by keeping the focus on aerial displays.
So hummingbirds have perfected an evolutionary strategy unmatched in the bird world. Their distinctive hover flight provides ecological advantages that have shaped reciprocal adaptations in both hummingbirds and flowers over time. Truly, the sustained hovering capability of hummingbirds places them in a league of their own within avian flight.
