Anna's hummingbird flying in the experimental setup, drinking sugar water from a fake flower. Credit: Lentink Lab / Stanford University. Anna's hummingbird flying in the experimental setup, drinking ...

Claudio Mello was conducting research in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest about 20 years ago when he heard a curious sound. It was high-pitched and reedy, like a pin scratching metal. A cricket? A tree frog?

Anna's hummingbirds can reach top diving speeds of around 60 mph, but their normal flight speed is around 25-30 mph. During flight, the little birds can reach nearly 10 g's of force. When diving, ...

Usually, you hear them before you see them, the buzzing sound of rapid wing beats alerting you to the return of hummingbirds to Colorado backyards in spring. What a pleasant surprise when you finally ...