Which bird can fly backwards?
Quick answer
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward for sustained periods. They can also hover in place and fly sideways or upside down briefly. Their secret is a unique shoulder joint that lets their wings move in a figure-eight pattern, producing lift on both the forward and backward strokes.
How hummingbird wings work
Most birds get lift mainly from the downstroke. A hummingbird’s wing rotates at the shoulder so it can flip over, generating lift on the upstroke as well, roughly a 75/25 split. Tilting that figure-eight motion lets them move in any direction.
| Feature | Hummingbird |
|---|---|
| Wingbeats | Typically 50–80 per second in small species |
| Heart rate | Over 1,000 beats per minute when active |
| Flight muscles | About 25–30% of body weight |
| Hovering | Can stay perfectly still in the air while feeding |
Other birds such as kestrels can briefly hover facing into the wind, but none can fly backward like a hummingbird.
Why fly backward?
Hummingbirds feed on flower nectar. Hovering lets them sip from flowers that can’t support their weight, and flying backward lets them pull out of a flower without turning around.
Tiny but tough
- The bee hummingbird of Cuba is the smallest bird in the world: about 5 cm long and under 2 grams.
- Hummingbirds eat about half to all of their body weight in sugar every day.
- At night, many enter torpor, a deep, hibernation-like sleep that lowers their body temperature to save energy.
- The ruby-throated hummingbird flies about 800 km nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico during migration.
Only in the Americas
About 360 species of hummingbirds live only in the Americas, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Most live in the tropics, especially the Andes.
Hummingbird records
- Fastest relative to size: Anna’s hummingbird dives at about 385 body lengths per second.
- Largest: the giant hummingbird of the Andes, about 20 cm long.
For overall speed records, see what the fastest bird is.
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