6.27.2005

Master fliers of the bird kingdom


The hovering hummingbird is halfway between insects and birds when it comes to flight, aerodynamic research published in Nature magazine reveals.

"What led us to this study was the long-held view that hummingbirds fly like big insects," says Douglas Warrick, of Oregon State University in Corvallis. Many experts had argued that hummingbirds' skill at hovering, of which insects are the undisputed masters, means that the two groups may stay aloft in the same way: by generating lift from a wing's upstroke as well as the down.

Link: Article from BBC News

Link: Nature Magazine Article

Anna's Hummingbird image © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell