How Hummingbirds Keep Flying Even in Storms

Hummingbirds are capable of performing spectacular aerial maneuvers when flying through the rain. These maneuvers help them eliminate water from their plumage, allowing them to remain aloft even when other birds are grounded.

Scientists were puzzled to find out that this is the case, especially since it is widely known that external wetness can impede small birds' locomotor abilities, as well as cause germ infections in mammals.

The new study revealed that the flexibility of hummingbirds' bodies and feathers allows them to shake in the air when wet. These oscillations help them remove water drops from between their feathers.

“Using a feather on an oscillating disc to mimic shaking motions, we found that bending increased average speeds by up to 36 per cent and accelerations of the feather tip up to fourfold relative to a hypothetical rigid feather,” University of California in Berkeley experts say.