Nature’s Nimble Navigators

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• Along with the ability to hover, hummingbirds can fly sideways and backward by rapidly adjusting the patterns of their wing strokes
• However, these adaptations come with a downside — hummingbirds’ wings don’t bend much during flight
• To fit through tight spaces, hummingbirds flew sideways and moved their wings differently on each side of their body
• They also used a “swept strategy,” pulling their wings in close to their body and shooting through the tight space without flapping their wings, similar to a bullet
• The hummingbirds appeared to use the more cautious sideways strategy initially due to the novel environment, then preferred the bullet-like movement once they felt assured there was no danger