Wild Kratts
Hummingbird: Creature Power
Clip | 1m 44sVideo has Closed Captions
The gang discovers how hummingbirds are able to move so freely through the air.
Chris and Martin see a green-breasted hummingbird. They determine how it is that this bird is able to fly backwards and even hover in place. After scanning its wing movements, they see that when the hummingbird flaps its wings, it does so in a figure-eight motion instead of up and down like other birds.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Wild Kratts
Hummingbird: Creature Power
Clip | 1m 44sVideo has Closed Captions
Chris and Martin see a green-breasted hummingbird. They determine how it is that this bird is able to fly backwards and even hover in place. After scanning its wing movements, they see that when the hummingbird flaps its wings, it does so in a figure-eight motion instead of up and down like other birds.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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(gasps) - I don't believe it.
It's a green breasted mango hummingbird.
- That is cool.
- A hummingbird, I love hummingbirds.
(speaking foreign language) - How colorful and cute he is.
- Like a flying flower.
The most beautiful bird I've ever seen.
- And check out his flying action.
- A hummingbird can do things most other birds can't do.
- Most birds can only move forwards by flapping his wings up and down.
- But a hummingbird can hover flying in place.
- [Martin] Even fly backwards.
- We've gotta figure out how he does that.
- Already on it.
(zapping) (playful music) - Are you getting this Koki?
His wings are beating a 100 times per second.
Humans can only flap arms four times per second.
(gasping) With those hummingbirds flapping at a 100 beats per second, that's too fast for our eyes to see them.
Can you play it back in slow mo?
- Done.
- Look at that.
Now that's different.
His wings aren't just going up and down like other birds, they're moving in a figure eight.
- That's it, that's what must give him those unique flying powers of the hummingbird.
- Exactmente, the figure eight pattern pushes air away in all four directions.
That's what enables him to float in the air, hovering.
- His flying is out of this world.
Hey that's it, out of this world flying.
Spaceship, that's what I'm gonna name you.
Spaceship.
- He can even fly upside down.
- Okay Spaceship, now you're just showing off.
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