Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Side by side, how the humble hummingbird flies faster than a fighter jet
Mail Online ^ | 11 June 2009 | Sophie Borland

Posted on 06/16/2009 6:23:55 PM PDT by GSP.FAN

It may be just four inches long - but the tiny hummingbird flies faster than a space shuttle and a fighter jet. Scientists have discovered that the animal performs the quickest aerial manoeuvre in the natural world compared to its size.

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley found that the courtship dive of Anna's hummingbird is 58 mph making it the fastest animal on earth

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous; Outdoors; Science
KEYWORDS: hummingbirds; nature
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-34 last
To: DennisR
Your are right about the peregrine’s outright speed alone - however, relative to it's body size & length, the hummingbird is indeed the fastest and absolutely fearless. I have seen them go after larger birds & squirrels near their staked out territory with a vengeance. There is an excellent graphic demonstrating the relative speed comparison in the article on the link.
21 posted on 06/16/2009 9:26:55 PM PDT by Apercu ("A man's character is his fate" - Heraclitus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Grammy; All
 

Grammy took these photos a few days ago of the mother hummingbird feeding her hatchlings.
The nest is is her backyard, 30 feet off the ground up in a tree

 

 


22 posted on 06/17/2009 12:32:23 AM PDT by dennisw ("stealth tribal warfare" is what the Sotomayor nomination is about)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: GSP.FAN

Very nice photos!


23 posted on 06/17/2009 12:56:01 AM PDT by dennisw ("stealth tribal warfare" is what the Sotomayor nomination is about)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: dennisw

Thanks dennisw for posting these for me. Mr G is the photographer in the family. I just found the nest.
8-)

We had a big storm go through here yesterday. The babies are too big for momma to really sit on the nest now, so she clung on to the edge and spread her wings to protect the babies from the wind and rain. It was really something to watch.


24 posted on 06/17/2009 5:05:27 AM PDT by Grammy (politics... poli ( many ) tics ( blood suckers ))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: zeebee

Very nice pictures zeebee.


25 posted on 06/17/2009 5:11:23 AM PDT by Grammy (politics... poli ( many ) tics ( blood suckers ))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Grammy

It’s hard to get photos of hummingbird nests if they usually build then 30 ft off the ground

Do you have a feeder and some plants that they go to in your garden?


26 posted on 06/17/2009 6:37:02 AM PDT by dennisw ("stealth tribal warfare" is what the Sotomayor nomination is about)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: zeebee

Isn’t it amazing what 5/9/10 Billion years can do for you.


27 posted on 06/17/2009 6:55:35 AM PDT by US Navy Vet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Apercu

They are amazing little creatures...


28 posted on 06/17/2009 7:26:34 AM PDT by DennisR (Look around - God gives countless, indisputable, and unambiguous clues that He does, indeed, exist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: NCC-1701
Talking about the space shuttle, wouldn’t it be interesting to see how well a hummingbird would fly in zero-g?"

LOL. How could you tell any difference?

29 posted on 06/17/2009 8:29:02 AM PDT by Grammy (politics... poli ( many ) tics ( blood suckers ))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: dennisw

Our house is built on a steep slope and our property is heavily wooded. The front door is at ground level, and so is the basement door in the back. That means our 2nd story is actually 3 stories high in the back of the house. It is kind of like living in a tree house.

8-)

The nest is even with the windows on the back of our 2nd story.... about 30 feet high.

The hummer feeder is on our front porch. We don’t have a lot of flowers, since we are in deep shade most of the time. Our hostas used to bloom pretty well, but the deer think that I planted them a salad bar, so no flowers this year.

We have kept tabs on momma hummer, and she leaves the nest for up to an hour. At one point she spent a lot of time sitting near the feeder just primping and eating. I think she is getting other food for her chicks.

One year during a drought we had about 20 hummers surrounding a 1 quart feeder. They didn’t even bother fighting to defend the feeder, just waited for their turn. They would empty the feeder every day.


30 posted on 06/17/2009 8:44:20 AM PDT by Grammy (politics... poli ( many ) tics ( blood suckers ))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: DennisR
The study in question examines speed relative to traveling it's own body length...and indeed provides a chart including a comparison with the peregrine...


31 posted on 06/17/2009 8:47:05 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: DennisR

and let’s see a hummingbird carry sidewinder missles!


32 posted on 06/17/2009 11:59:51 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB (ACORN:American Corruption for Obama Right Now)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: WOBBLY BOB

Bingo! I would take a falcon into a fight any day.


33 posted on 06/17/2009 7:13:07 PM PDT by DennisR (Look around - God gives countless, indisputable, and unambiguous clues that He does, indeed, exist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Grammy

In zero G it wouldn’t take many wing flaps to maintain position or move. It would be an interesting experiment.


34 posted on 06/17/2009 7:18:10 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-34 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson