Hummingbirds Are Faster than Jet Fighters

These birds have been objects of fascination for biologists for a long time, on account of the fact that they are the only species of birds to have the ability to hover in mid-air, flapping their wings 12 to 90 times per second. This trait also allows them to move backwards, something that no other winged creature can do. When it comes to speed, a recent study showed that the small birds were faster than a fighter jet in flying and pulling “G”s, and that the planes only won when it came to acceleration.

University of California in Berkeley (UCB) expert Christopher Clark used high-speed video cameras to assess the movements of the small birds, while they were in their courtship behavior, when the most stunning flight maneuvers took place. For this purpose, the scientist employed stuffed models of female hummingbirds, outfitted with colorful and contrasting feathers. They were placed on display, and the sky was surveyed using a number of cameras, the BBC News informs.

According to the measurements that derived from the study, the birds traveled at a top speed of about 400 body lengths per second, which is faster than any jet fighter, even with its afterburners on, and even faster than the space shuttles during their atmospheric reentry. The specimens in this study were observed using cameras rolling at 500 frames per second, so the researcher had time to dissect their behavior and assess their amazing flying capabilities. The species used for the experiments is known as Anna's hummingbirds.

Despite the fact that jet fighters are able to accelerate faster than hummingbirds, they are humbled by what these winged creatures can do in the later stages of their flight, when they need to spread their wings and pull up. According to Clark, their “instantaneous acceleration [is] greater than any organism previously recorded undergoing aerial maneuvers.” No other bird in the world can boast such an achievement.

Hummingbirds live short lives, like many species with a fast metabolic rate. They have to consume up to five times their weight in nectar every day, to support their amazing heart beat rates, which can sometimes reach values of up to 1,260 beats per minute. Needless to say, in humans, such a speed would make the entire circulatory system instantly blow up. From the animal world, these birds have the highest metabolic rates ever, and they are only surpassed by insects.