Hummingbird Aerodynamics- High Speed Video - Smarter Every Day 27

Flying slow is difficult because control surfaces don't get as much airflow, and flying at zero air velocity is the hardest challenge of all.

Destin observed hummingbird flight in his backyard over the past weekend.

The video will examine personal observations and then explain the science behind how hummingbirds are able to fly.

Understanding hummingbird aerodynamics and the principles that allow them to hover and maneuver.

• Dr Doug Warrick at Oregon State University and Dr Brett Tobalske at University of Montana study hummingbirds using a nozzle to spray olive oil in the air around the bird • A laser slices sections of the air where the oil is to measure the flow field • The method is called digital particle image velocimetry - taking two pictures of oil droplets at different times creates a two-dimensional visualization of the flow field

• 70% of a hummingbird's lift comes from the forward stroke • 30% comes from the backward stroke • This contradicts the assumption that lift is evenly distributed at 50-50

Vortices are visible underneath the hummingbird's wing in the flow field pictures, helping scientists understand lift generation.

• Hummingbirds perform a tail flick right before arriving at the feeder • Dr Warrick's team doesn't yet know the purpose - it may change airflow around the body or shift the center of gravity • They are developing a six degree of freedom model to study this further

The high-speed camera is a Phantom made by Vision Research.

Links to learn more about hummingbird research and camera specifications are provided in the video description.

Viewers are encouraged to click the bird feeder link and subscribe to the channel.

The host hopes viewers are getting smarter every day through the content.