Hummingbirds' Backward Flight Is Efficient

The mechanisms behind the effortless way that hummingbirds fly backwards have been revealed in a recent study. Although hummingbirds routinely fly backwards, it has never before been scientifically described in detail.

University of California scientists Dr Nir Sapir and Robert Dudley, recorded the birds' flight biomechanics using high-speed cameras and oxygen uptake. They found that hummingbirds' backward flight uses similar amounts of energy to flying forwards.