What is the only bird that can fly backwards?

The hummingbird, such as the broad-billed hummingbird, is the only bird who has the ability (and tendency) to fly backwards! These tiny birds can beat their wings 53 times a second and they fly in a unique acrobatic style matched by few other birds. They hover often, beat their wings extremely fast, and they also fly upside down as well as backwards. Most birds fly by moving their wings up and down, but hummingbirds have a much more complex style. They are able to twist their wings while flapping up and down, similar to the style of dragonflies. This unique movement allows them to fly backwards.

A tiny bird with a massive appetite, the hummingbird needs to consume around 1.6 to 1.7 times its body weight in nectar each day! Calling the Sky Islands home, and just one of many hummingbird varieties located there, the broad-billed hummingbird stands out because of it’s beautiful metallic-green sheen. They find their on the nectar from flowers and trees in the Sky Islands of Arizona and Mexico.

You can do your part to  protect this beautiful bird’s natural habitat. We have a Gift That Gives More that is dedicated to saving 32,000 acres (50 square miles) of the Sonora’s Sky Islands, a place where so many plants and animals call home. Learn how you can help  now!