Here’s another interesting video by Smarter Everyday on how hummingbirds manage to hover. Most birds have wings that function similar to those on airplanes. They rely on airflow over the wing shape to produce lift. But what happens when you hover and don’t have that airflow? Destin shows us some high speed footage of hummingbirds from a camera he set up in his backyard. It turns out hummingbirds are able to generate vortexes with the flapping of their wings that keeps them in the air. Take a close look at the flow field he posts, it gives a good visual of how the whole thing works.
Source: Smarter Everyday on YouTube