Current Biology, 2020 Hummingbirds are widely recognized by their hovering flight. In this Quick guide, Altshuler and Wylie describe the visual specializations that allow for the hummingbird's flight abilities.
Douglas L, Altshuler, Douglas R, Wylie
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Current Biology, 2012 Hummingbirds are very distinctive in their form and behavior, the evolution of which is tightly connected to the evolution of their primary source of energy - floral nectar. About forty million years ago, the practical use of this dense fuel, available only in widely-dispersed, insect-sized aliquots - it was originally intended for insect pollinators -
Warrick, Douglas +4 more
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Flight Mechanics and Control of Escape Manoeuvres in Hummingbirds. I. Flight Kinematics [PDF]
, 2016 Hummingbirds are nature’s masters of aerobatic manoeuvres. Previous research shows that hummingbirds and insects converged evolutionarily upon similar aerodynamic mechanisms and kinematics in hovering.
Cheng, Bo +6 more
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Floral resource availability of Dicliptera squarrosa (Acanthaceae) and its dependence on hummingbirds for fruit formation in a forest fragment of Central Brazil [PDF]
Plant Ecology and Evolution, 2019 Background and aims – Hummingbirds are dependent and specialized on nectar-feeding, and many plants depend upon them for pollination. However, the degree of plant-pollinator interdependence varies greatly among species; thus, information on plant mating ...
Raphael Matias +3 more
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Retrospective study on admission trends of Californian hummingbirds found in urban habitats (1991–2016) [PDF]
PeerJ, 2021 Background Hummingbirds are frequently presented to California wildlife rehabilitation centers for medical care, accounting for approximately 5% of overall admissions.
Pranav S. Pandit +11 more
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Take-off mechanics in hummingbirds (Trochilidae) [PDF]
, 2004 Initiating flight is challenging, and considerable effort has focused on understanding the energetics and aerodynamics of take-off for both machines and animals.
Altshuler, Douglas L. +2 more
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Resolution of a paradox: Hummingbird flight at high elevation does not come without a cost [PDF]
, 2004 Flight at high elevation is energetically demanding because of parallel reductions in air density and oxygen availability. The hovering flight of hummingbirds is one of the most energetically expensive forms of animal locomotion, but hummingbirds are ...
Altshuler, Douglas L. +2 more
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Current contrasting population trends among North American hummingbirds
Scientific Reports, 2021 As pollinators, hummingbirds play a critical role for both the function of ecological communities and in providing ecosystem services for people. To examine the conservation status of North American hummingbirds, we analyzed Breeding Bird Survey data for
Simon G. English +3 more
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Flight Performance and Competitive Displacement of Hummingbirds across Elevational Gradients [PDF]
, 2006 Hummingbirds, with their impressive flight ability and competitive aerial contests, make ideal candidates for applying a mechanistic approach to studying community structure.
Altshuler, Douglas L.
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Flight Mechanics and Control of Escape Manoeuvres in Hummingbirds. II. Aerodynamic Force Production, Flight Control and Performance Limitations [PDF]
, 2016 The superior manoeuvrability of hummingbirds emerges from complex interactions of specialized neural and physiological processes with the unique flight dynamics of flapping wings.
Cheng, Bo +7 more
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