Friday, June 08, 2012

Hummingbirds are the only creatures that can fly backwards.





Hummingbirds are birds in the family Trochilidae,and are native to the Americas. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12–90 times per second (depending on the species). They can fly backwards, and are the only group of birds able to do so.[1] Their English name derives from the characteristic hum made by their rapid ...wing beats. They can fly at speeds exceeding 15 m/s (54 km/h; 34 mph).
Hummingbirds feed on the nectar of plants and are important pollinators, especially of deep-throated, tubular flowers. Like bees, they are able to assess the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat; they reject flower types that produce nectar which is less than 10% sugar and prefer those whose sugar content is stronger. Nectar is a poor source of nutrients, so hummingbirds meet their needs for protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. by preying on insects andspiders, especially when feeding young.

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