DailyFact
Source checked by DailyFact editors

Hummingbirds can fly backward

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can sustain controlled backward flight.

More animal facts
Wild animals gathered in a vivid natural landscape

Why it is true

A hummingbird can rotate each wing through a wide arc and generate lift during both halves of the wingbeat. That unusual motion also lets it hover and move sideways.

Check the source

We keep the original reference beside the claim so you can inspect the evidence and surrounding context yourself.

Open Smithsonian National Zoo

More from animal facts

Source checked

Sea otters can rest in kelp beds

Resting sea otters float on their backs and can settle into coastal kelp beds.

See why it is true
Source checked

Flamingos get their pink color from food

Flamingo feathers turn pink because pigments called carotenoids are present in the algae and small animals they eat.

See why it is true
Source checked

Octopuses have three hearts

An octopus has three hearts and blue blood that uses copper-rich hemocyanin to carry oxygen.

See why it is true
All fun facts

Give curiosity one minute.

See how DailyFact turns 500,000+ ideas into a simple daily ritual.

Download on the App StoreDownload on the Play Store