What bird can fly tail first?
- hummingbird
Hummingbirds are known for their amazing ability to hover in place, which allows them to linger in front of flowers and collect nectar. But the question of how these creatures manage to remain motionless in the air has intrigued researchers for years.
It happens that they fly in flocks or even attack a hawk or owl alone. It would seem, what can a hummingbird hope for in a fight with a feathered predator that is a hundred times larger?
But the fact is that all hummingbirds, both large and small, have one feature that sets them apart from other birds, one completely unique quality, which, by the way, is irreplaceable in air combat: the hummingbird is almost the only bird that can fly not only forward, but both back and sideways.
Only they know how to stand motionless in the air in one place, like... helicopter. High maneuverability, as aviators say, and the ability to instantly, without a run, take off, make small hummingbirds so brave, they know that they can always fly away from danger in time.
The hummingbird spends almost the whole day in the air, flying from flower to flower. But if the honey bee at least rests, sitting on the rosettes of large flowers, then the hummingbird feeds on the fly: it hangs in the air above the flower, flapping its wings quickly, quickly, sticks its long beak deep and sucks the nectar with a round tubular tongue (just like an elephant trunk).Hummingbirds have very strong wings. Muscles account for almost a third of the hummingbird's total weight. And in general, if you measure energy per unit of weight, the hummingbird is a very energetic creature.
Here hummingbirds have no equal among other warm-blooded animals. Hummingbirds are almost 50 times more energetic than humans. If one of these tiny creatures grew to our size, it would consume 155 thousand calories per day, for which it would have to eat, say, more than a hundred kilograms of ham.
The flight style of hummingbirds appears to be intermediate between that of birds and that of insects. This possible connection has been discussed before. Hummingbirds get 25% of their lift from the upward movement of their wings and 75% from the downward movement. Insects, interestingly, receive 50% of each of these movements, while other birds rely almost exclusively on the downward movement of their wings.
The Hummingbird "took" the body and most of the bird's limitations, but changed them slightly to take advantage of some of the aerodynamic tricks
Source: The little hummingbird is known not only for its ability to fly even with its tail first, but also for the fact that during seasonal migrations it covers distances of up to 3,000 km, losing up to 30% in weight. Meticulous scientists again calculated: with such indicators, an aircraft weighing 300 kg would need only 1 kg of fuel per 100 km. Not bad, huh?! - The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly forward with its tail, as well as sideways and “backward” :)))
- any))) if you kick her in the beak)))))))))))))))))))
- ahead of the tail!
- calibrate!
- )))....I don’t know the bird)) 0 Although, stop!! ! There is one! ! Iron bird L-410))
True, she can only ride tail first)) True))
Hummingbirds are called natural helicopters, and this comparison suits them best. True, since hummingbirds appeared in this world much earlier than helicopters, it would be more fair to say that helicopters are artificial hummingbirds. Just as a helicopter can perform amazing maneuvers that would drive an ordinary airplane crazy if it were a rational creature, hummingbirds can fly any way they want - forward, backward, and even upside down!
First, a few facts about hummingbirds for those who have never seen these birds. There are about 320 species of hummingbirds. Most of them live in the tropics South America, but there are also those that are common in Central and North America and even reach Alaska.
Hummingbirds have the strongest muscles compared to other animals. Hummingbird wing muscles burn 133 watts of energy per kilogram of weight. By comparison, a marathon runner's leg muscles use about 15 watts per kilogram.
The smallest species of hummingbird is about 5 cm long, the most great view- giant hummingbird - reaches 20 cm.
The hummingbird has partially iridescent plumage. When the light falls on her certain angle, the bird's feathers shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow, like a soap or oil film.
Hummingbirds are known for their long beaks, both straight and curved, and needle-thin. The sword-billed hummingbird has the longest beak: it reaches 10 cm and is almost equal to the body length of this bird. The shortest beak belongs to the tiny purple thornbill, its length is up to 1 cm.
If a person burned as much energy as a hummingbird, they would need to consume about 155,000 calories per day. This is equivalent to 1550 bananas.
A hummingbird inserts its beak inside a flower. There she quickly sticks out her forked tongue, like a snake’s, and feasts on the sweet nectar. But nectar alone is not enough - the hummingbird also needs protein, that is, animal, food, so it swallows small insects hiding in the fragrant depths of the flower, or snacks on beetles caught in the nearest web.
The hummingbird uses a huge amount of energy just to remain itself. When a hummingbird sits quietly in place, the bird's heart beats at a rate of 550 beats per minute. During aerial acrobatics, her heart rate reaches 1,200 beats per minute.
The frequency of wing flapping is also high - 18-80 flapping per second. (For comparison, the flapping rate of a vulture's wings is one beat per second.) In fact, the sound a hummingbird makes is the sound of its tiny wings flapping.
An ordinary bird flies by flapping its wings forward and downward. The muscles that lift the wing are relatively weak, their mass is only 5-10% of the mass of the strong muscles that lower the wing.
What is the difference between hummingbirds? Firstly, the mass of its flight (pectoral) muscles makes up about a third of the total body mass, while in other birds it is 15-20%. Secondly, the muscles that raise the wing are as developed and powerful as the muscles that lower it. Like a normal bird, a hummingbird flaps its wings to move forward. But hummingbird wings rotate at the shoulder joints at an angle of almost 180°. By changing the angle of its wings and using its powerful chest muscles, the hummingbird can roll over and also fly backwards.
The tiny rufous hummingbird, weighing just 2 grams, migrates from Alaska to central Mexico. If this path is measured by the length of its body, it will be the longest journey compared to the flights of other birds.
Having straightened its tail and performed a quick somersault back, the hummingbird can fly upside down (in this position, the levator muscles become depressors and begin to play an important role).
Finally, a hummingbird may hover in the air, such as over a delicate flower, to feast on nectar. At the same time, her wings move back and forth, describing a figure eight in the air. In addition, the hummingbird can fly vertically upward, like a helicopter. This helps her, for example, quickly return to the nest.
Alas, for all the listed miracles of the hummingbird, one has to pay for it by the fact that it cannot soar high in the sky, that is, one of the main pleasures of flight is not available to it.
I don’t know about you, but I really love watching birds, I love listening to their conversations, recognizing them by their voices. It is not difficult to observe them, since they are everywhere, and each has its own habits, its own unique song. There are birds that are very fast, there are excellent hunters, and there are birds that are so bright that their appearance is simply mesmerizing. I think many people are asking questions: which bird is the fastest in the world, which is the most beautiful? And I want to tell you about an amazing bird that flies not only forward, but also backward.
Which bird flies tail first?
Everyone knows that birds from the Hummingbird family are the smallest on Earth. Their size ranges from 5 to 20 cm, and weight from 2 to 20 grams. So, they are not only the smallest, they are also the only birds in the world that can:
- fly sideways and even backwards;
- stop abruptly;
- flutter in place.
The ability to stay in one place in the air greatly helps birds when collecting nectar, because their legs are so fragile that you can’t stand on them for a long time. Their wings, on the contrary, are very strong, and differ in that they are attached to the body only in the shoulder area. They work with them so quickly that they are capable of making 200 strokes per second, which leads to a slight buzzing sound.
Also, a record among birds is the flight speed of these babies, which is approximately 100 km per hour. Hummingbirds are very active and energetic birds, their whole life is spent in motion, and in order to keep themselves in shape, they need to eat well.
What does a hummingbird eat?
Hummingbirds obtain all the necessary nutrients from nectar, which is taken from a flower. Having flown up to it, they hover next to it, then plunge their long beak into the flower, and, making swallowing movements, suck the nectar. They fly around up to 2 thousand flowers per day.
Many people think that hummingbirds only feed on nectar. This is wrong. The diet of many species consists of small insects, which they find on leaves or flowers.
These little ones are considered the most insatiable birds in the world, as in a day they eat an amount of food that is twice their weight.
A moving hill of sand in the desert is called... A. Dune B. Cliff C. Rock D. Mountain A. Dune
What did ancient people do to make rain?
A. We didn’t eat anything for three days.
B. They killed a mammoth
G. We walked with an umbrella and said “it seems like it’s starting to rain...”
B. They danced around the fire with a tambourine in their hands
What can't a tornado do?
A. Stand still
B. Lift the car into the air
B. Uproot a tree
D. Destroy the building
A. Stand still
In ancient times, the Chinese learned to make silkworms from cocoons...
A. Seasoning
B. Paper
V. Rezina
G. Silk
Where is the venom in a cobra?
A. On the tip of the tongue
B. In the tooth
B. On the tail
G. In the hood
Which animal's tail looks like an oar?
A. Bobra
B. Squirrels
V. Foxes
G. Bear
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A. Shake hands
B. Kissing
B. Rushing noses
G. Hugging
B. Rushing noses
What insect glides through water without drowning?
A. Ladybug
B. mayfly
V. Water strider
G. Dragonfly
V. Water strider
What is the name of the room on the ship where the sailors live?
A. Kelya
B. Kubrick
B. Apartment
G. Cabinet
B. Kubrick
What is formed in oyster shells?
A. Pearl
B. Corals
B. Gold
G. Almazy
What did the Japanese use instead of money before coins appeared?
A. Potatoes
B. Pearls
V. Shells
D. Rice and textiles
D. Rice and textiles
It used to be fashionable to wear glasses instead of...
A. Microscope
B. Binoculars
B. Telescope
G. Monocle
G. Monocle
Why does the water in the sea appear blue?
A. Because of algae
B. Because of the color of the bottom
B. Water reflects the sky
D. Due to dissolved salt
B. Water reflects the sky
What plant flower are they looking for on the night of Ivan Kupala?
A. Lily of the valley
B. Daisies
V. Fern
G. Juniper
V. Fern
Who helped the knight put on heavy armor?
A. Kucher
B. Squire
V. Dvoretsky
G. Lackey
B. Squire
In the Maasai tribe, a boy is considered an adult after...
A. Will overtake a cheetah
B. Defeat the lion
B. Will build a hut
D. Learn to read and write
B. Defeat the lion
What did the Indians do as a sign of reconciliation?
A. They buried the hatchet
B. All the arrows were broken
B. They clapped their hands
G. They stuck spears into trees
A. They buried the hatchet
Which of the following berries ripen first?
A. Lingonberry
B. Blueberry
V. Blueberry
G. Strawberry
G. Strawberry
Which of the following animals has the most acute hearing?
A. In a cat
B. At the hedgehog
B. At the bat
G. In a dog
B. At the bat
Columbus called the inhabitants of America Indians because...
A. He liked this word
B. The natives raised turkeys
D. The natives gave him a turkey
B. He thought he had sailed to India
What school of fish can destroy a large animal in a few minutes?
A. Karasei
B. Karpov
V. Piranha
G. Seahorses
V. Piranha
What device helps study the seabed?
A. Telescope
B. Airship
V. Lunokhod
G. Bathyscaphe
G. Bathyscaphe
In the depths of the swamp,...
A. Peat
B. Salt
B. Iron
G. Gold
Primitive people thought to be the cause of illness...
A. Viruses
B. Drafts
B. Evil spirits
D. Dirty hands
B. Evil spirits
Which of the following was invented first?
A. Typewriter
B. Computer
B. Printer
D. Copier
A. Typewriter
Which fish has both eyes on the same side of its body?
A. At the perch
B. At the shark
B. In trout
G. At the flounder
G. At the flounder
What were the first airplanes made of?
A. Made of wood
B. Made of rubber
B. Made of plastic
G. Made of metal
A. Made of wood
Which bird has the sharpest vision?
A. At the woodpecker
B. At the raven
V. At the eagle
G. At the starling
This insect rolls dung into balls.
A. Termite
B. Scarab
V. May beetle
G. Cockroach
B. Scarab
What is the name of the cook on a ship?
A. Gunner
B. Quartermaster
V. Boatswain
G. Kok
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A. Earrings
B. Stairs
V. Stilts
G. High heels
G. High heels
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A. From sand
B. Made of plastic
B. From iron ore
G. From stones
A. From sand
Sailors soaked their clothes with resin...
A. For insulation
B. So that it does not tear
B. So that insects do not grow in it
D. So that it does not let water through
"Ant cows" are called...
A. Gusenits
B. Kuznechikov
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G. Medvedok
Spiders produce webs...
A. From the hind legs
B. From the abdomen
B. From the front legs
G. From the jaws
B. From the abdomen
What bird can fly tail first?
A. Toucan
B. Parrot
V. Nandu
G. Hummingbird
03.06.2012 - 11:15
This bird can fly not only with its tail forward, but also to the right, and to the left, and up, and down, clearly maintaining the orientation of the body, that is, without wasting time on turns, this amazing bird, the hummingbird, is able to move.
Fantasy bird
It could be compared to radio controlled model. But, I’m afraid, the comparison will not be in favor of the latter - not a single model, even the most modern, even constructed in the most secret laboratories of the richest countries in the world, has ever been comparable in characteristics to the hummingbird.
Judge for yourself. From the Florida Peninsula (USA) to the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) is about a thousand kilometers. When migrating, hummingbirds cover this path in 20 hours. No stops, no breaks for lunch or sleep. Regardless of the weather conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. In storms and storms. The famous American hurricanes are also no problem for hummingbirds. And this very difficult flight is performed by birds weighing only seven grams.
Some species of hummingbirds fly to the Canadian Rockies while the ground is still covered with snow. At the same time, travelers manage not only to hatch eggs there, but also to maintain their temperature 25°C higher than the surrounding air.
Scientists have long wondered: how can such a small bird “keep” such a high body temperature? It turned out that hummingbirds eat a lot, consuming about twice as much food per day as they weigh themselves. Only in this way can they provide themselves with increased metabolism and a constant temperature.
Among the unique anatomical features of this bird, a very powerful heart should be mentioned: it is almost three times larger in volume than the stomach and occupies half of the body cavity. This is due to the high mobility of birds and rapid metabolism. The heart rate of hummingbirds is extraordinary: in some species it reaches a thousand beats per minute.
Hummingbirds also don’t freeze because their feathers warm them. Among all other small and medium-sized birds, hummingbirds have the best insulation due to the greater number of feathers per inch of body. Moreover, birds are able to lower their metabolism and fall into torpor, again to conserve energy.
It’s worth adding here that the hummingbird feathers themselves resemble the colors gems. In the sun they shimmer and change color.
The bird weaves a nest from blades of grass, and its size is as big as a shell. walnut. And hummingbird eggs are the size of a pea.
Recently, ornithologists have discovered another remarkable ability of this amazing creature. It turns out that “the hummingbird has a brain only the size of a grain of rice, but uses it perfectly,” as the study put it. It turned out that hummingbirds remember information well. For example, the basis of the diet of these birds consists of small insects and flower nectar - this is how hummingbirds avoid flowers that they have recently emptied, but return to where food is still contained.
Such a role
It is for obtaining nectar that the beak of a hummingbird is intended, which in all species is very thin and long, and in some, for example, in the sword-billed hummingbird, it is much longer than its owner. Thus, representatives of this species also turn out to be the longest-beaked birds in the world. As a rule, hummingbirds have a straight beak, but in some it bends slightly downward.
The hummingbird's language is also unique in its own way. It is a long thin tube with a fringe at the end. Having flown up to the flower and hovering in the air in front of it, the hummingbird inserts its beak into the flower and, only slightly lifting the beak, sticks out the tip of its tongue. Then, with strong swallowing movements, the nectar is pumped into the oral cavity, enters the esophagus and then, bypassing the stomach, flows into the intestines. If there are small insects in the nectar, they end up in the stomach.
Hummingbirds collect spiders and insects from leaves and branches, also hovering in front of them, and sometimes catch “food” directly in flight. Hummingbirds feed their chicks by feeding them beak-to-beak nectar, not sitting on the edge of the nest, but fluttering their wings next to the “house.”
Hummingbirds also play another important role in nature - they draw nectar from flowers, pollinating them. Many flowers are designed in such a way that only the smallest bird can assist in pollination. Moreover, depending on the shape of the “reservoir,” the beaks of individual hummingbird species are also different. Nectar is sucked from flat flowers with a short beak, and from deep, funnel-like flowers - with a long and narrow beak.
Tail singing
But the most interesting property of hummingbirds is the ability to sing... with their tail.
It is known that many birds make sounds not only with the larynx, but also with other parts of the body, for example, by clicking their beaks or vibrating their feathers in flight. Until recently, there was no consensus among ornithologists about how the male of one of the hummingbird species makes a loud sound, reminiscent of a short but very shrill whistle. American researchers from the Museum of Zoology in Berkeley (California) have found that hummingbirds have a tail for this purpose.
A “solo” looks like this: a male hummingbird rises into the air about 30 meters and flies down in an arc. In this case, the arc is located in the same vertical plane with the sun, and the bird tends towards it, due to which the purple feathers on the head and neck of the hummingbird shine brighter and attract the female. At the bottom of the arc, flying over the “chosen one” at a speed of about 80 kilometers per hour, the male “whistles.”
Research has shown that this loud sound occurs precisely in those split seconds when a hummingbird spreads its tail. To conduct an experiment in a wind tunnel, scientists removed several outer tail feathers from the hummingbird's tail (animal advocates needn't worry; the bird will grow new feathers in a couple of weeks). It turned out that these feathers are precisely what “whistle”: the sound arises because they vibrate in the air flow. In general, tail singing is not characteristic of most species of hummingbirds; this ability probably arose relatively recently during evolution. In any case, scientists are going to continue research.
If, of course, there is someone to investigate. For the sake of beautiful plumage, hummingbirds were exterminated in very large numbers, which sharply reduced the number of these birds. In the century before last, millions of their skins were exported to Europe from South America and the Antilles. From the West Indies alone, up to 400 thousand skins a year sometimes came to London markets. Currently, more than a dozen species of hummingbirds are listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, of which four species are considered endangered.
Interesting facts about hummingbirds:
Tiny hummingbirds consume a hundred times more food per unit weight than elephants. The metabolic rate of these birds is so high that even a six to eight hour interval between meals would threaten them with death from exhaustion.
But this does not happen: the hummingbird’s body seems to become numb at night - their temperature drops from the usual 40-45 degrees Celsius to the ambient temperature, and their metabolism slows down 10-15 times. And in the morning, the hummingbirds “come to life” again and begin to tirelessly forage for food.
In total, there are 350 species of hummingbirds. These fragile-looking creatures are the toughest in the animal world. They are found in very different, often even harsh climates from Alaska to Argentina, from the deserts of Arizona to the coast of Nova Scotia, from the Brazilian jungle to the snow line of the Andes. (Interestingly, these birds live only in the New World.)
German ornithologist Karl Schuchmann believes that “hummingbirds exist on the edge of what is possible for vertebrates, and quite successfully.” They are able to live in captivity for up to 17 years. At rest, a hummingbird's heart beats at a rate of five hundred beats per minute! Over its entire life, it contracts four and a half billion times - almost twice as much as the human heart during seventy years of life.
Once hummingbirds die, their thin, hollow bones almost never become fossils. Therefore, scientists were quite surprised when they discovered fossil birds that were thirty million years old. Perhaps among them there are also ancestors of hummingbirds: they have the same long thin beaks, a shortened humerus of the wing with an enlarged process that allowed the limbs to rotate in the shoulder joint, which means the birds could hang in the air.
Hummingbirds are featured on the coat of arms of Trinidad and Tobago.
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