![hummingbirds unique sideways flutter gets them through small apertures hummingbirds unique sideways flutter gets them through small apertures](https://utterbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/hummingbirds-unique-sideways-flutter-gets-them-through-small-apertures-640x360.jpg)
Hummingbirds are highly maneuverable fliers, flitting forward and backward as they home in on flowers. But in the dense foliage many inhabit, they often encounter gaps that are too narrow for their wingspan. Since they can’t bend their wings in flight, how do they get through? Researchers used high-speed cameras to capture their movements, discovering two unique strategies: they sidle through while fluttering, or fold their wings in a tuck and glide.