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Hummingbirds

Interesting Hummingbird Flight Facts

It is a common misconception that hummingbirds actually fly faster then many others species of birds. The reason for this mistaken believe is probably due to the small size of the hummingbird and the fact that this small size makes the bird hard to see while it is in flight and this gives the illusion of greater speed then occurs in actuality. The peregrine falcon is the fastest flying bird, which can reach speeds of 175 mph. Also, the Duck Hawk was measured at speeds of between 160-180 mph. By comparison, hummingbird flight is actually quite slow because their normal top flight speed is between 25-30 mph, but it can reach much higher during a courtship display.

It only takes 1/500th of a second for a hummingbird to complete a wing beat cycle.

Hummingbird flight will occur in only three of these cycles.