Re: Altitude effects on hummingbird flight?

[jrc <jrccea@bellsouth.net>]

You have a good eye.  There are two ways to hover at altitude.  One is  with 
longer wings and a slower frequency, the other is with shorter wings and a 
higher frequency.  You've described both methods.
JimC
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tommy Tyrberg" <tommy.tyrberg@norrkoping.mail.telia.com>
To: <xrciseguy@sbcglobal.net>; <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Cc: <jrccea@bellsouth.net>
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2006 2:28 PM
Subject: Re: Altitude effects on hummingbird flight?


> Personally I think this is nonsense. .....
> The most extreme high-altitude hummer, the Bearded Helmetcrest which you 
> never see below the paramo and which goes to about 17,000 feet is actually 
> rather short-winged for a hummingbird.
> The Giant Hummingbird (the species mentioned in the second paragraph) is 
> long-winged and also goes quite high, but it has a much slower wing-stroke 
> than other, smaller hummingbirds (including the Great Sapphirewing).....
> Admittedly I haven't watched either the Helmetcrest or the Giant higher 
> than to about 13,000 feet myself, but at that altitude they certainly 
> didn't seem in the least bothered by the thin air.>