Animal field note
Backwards flyer
Tiny Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.
Let's look closer
How can a hummingbird fly in every direction?
ost birds flap mainly up and down. A hummingbird rotates its wings in a figure-eight pattern, making lift on both halves of every wingbeat. That lets it hover, move sideways, and reverse.
Look for this
Explorer clue
Listen for the soft humming sound made by wings beating dozens of times each second as the bird pauses beside a flower.
Your turn to wonder
Curiosity question
Where would you go if you could hover perfectly still in the air?