How many times do hummingbirds flap their wings in a second?

If you’ve ever wondered, you’re not the only one! There are many questions about the hummingbird’s wing beat and how many times they flap their wings in a second. It’s estimated that the fastest hummingbird wing beat is about 300 times per second! Flapping is the primary means of flight for hummingbirds but a hummingbird’s wing beat is so fast that it’s hard to see it.

According to a recent study, California’s Anna’s hummingbird can flap up to 13 times per second! That means the hummingbird’s wings beat more than 300 times per minute, which means a hummingbird’s wing beat is actually faster than the beat of a hummingbird’s heart!

How fast do hummingbirds flap their wings?

Depending on species, the fastest recorded hummingbird wing beat rate is about 310 Hz (or cycles per second). One flapping cycle is completed in about 0.05 seconds, which means that the hummingbird's wing beat rate is about 17,500 cycles per minute.

The fastest recorded wing beat of a hummingbird is 40 wing beats per second, or around 70 miles per hour. That’s a lot of energy! It’s enough to create a wind chill of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

That’s hot enough to melt almost any type of ice!

How many flaps does a hummingbird make in a second?

If you want to find out how fast a hummingbird can flap its wings, you can use a stopwatch. If you time it right, you can even see the hummingbird’s wing muscles flexing. Hummingbirds are able to flap their wings up to 60 times per second, which is a remarkable feat! Hummingbirds fly at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, and they flap their wings about 17 times per second.

The fastest recorded hummingbird flight speed is 43 miles per hour.

That’s actually faster than the speed of sound!

How many times do hummingbirds flap their wings in a minute?

The hummingbird can flap their wings up to 200 times per minute. If you’re wondering how many times they flap their wings in an hour, it’s around 5,400. That’s more than 40 times per second! The hummingbird’s wing beat rate is about 12 to 18 wing beats per second. That means a hummingbird can flap about 12-18 times in a minute.

To reach maximum speed, a hummingbird will flap its wings about 27 times per second, but the upper limit to hummingbird wing beat rates is set by the energy available to them.

How many flaps per second does a hummingbird make?

Compared to most other birds, hummingbirds flap their wings very quickly. This gives them more efficient flight, and lets them move quickly through the air. A common misconception is that hummingbirds flap their wings about 16 times per second, but this is actually closer to 18-20. The fastest flapping rate recorded for a hummingbird is at 30 miles per hour. A hummingbird can beat this speed, but it takes a lot of practice! To equal the 30 mph rate, a hummingbird would have to flap 56 times per second. That’s a lot of flapping!