Hovering is the ability exhibited by some winged animals to remain relatively stationary in midair. Usually this involves rapid downward thrusts of the
wings to generate upward
lift. Sometimes hovering is maintained by
flapping or
soaring into a
headwind; this form of hovering is called "wind hovering", "windhovering", or "kiting".
[1][2]
Like hummingbirds,
fruit bats and
nectar bats hover over flowers while feeding on
fruits or nectar. Comparison between bats and hummingbirds has revealed that these animals exert similar amounts of energy relative to body weight during hovering: hummingbirds can twist their wings more easily and are more aerodynamic, but bats have bigger wings and larger strokes.
[4][5]
Some sphinx moths (family
Sphingidae) are known as hummingbird moths for their ability to hover over flowers while nectaring. Moths are relatively heavy insects and sometimes hang on to the flower with their forelegs as they hover.
[8]
Hoverflies are
flies that often hover over the plants they visit. This hovering behaviour is unlike that of
hummingbirds since they do not feed in midair. Hovering in general may be a means of finding a food source; in addition, male hovering is often a territorial display seeking females,[13]
while female hovering serves to inspect
ovipositing sites.
[14][15][16]
Adult hoverflies often hover over the plants they visit
Bee flies are
parasitoids that can dart about in the air with great agility. Males hover as a
courtship display,
[17][18]
while females hover over ovipositing sites - usually the entrance of a host insect nest - and shoot eggs into the nest using an ejecting movement of their
abdomen.
[19]
Species that have a long
proboscis can hover over flowers while feeding, much as hummingbirds do, though these flies may touch the flower with their legs for balance while hovering.
[20]
Odonata is an
insectorder that includes
dragonflies and
damselflies. They are strong aviators renowned for their acrobatic flights, including the ability to hover, usually for a short pause during their ceaseless territorial patrols.
[21]
Dragonflies
In addition to short hovers while cruising, female dragonflies may hover over the water before or during
oviposition, males may also hover-guard their mate at this time.
[22]
Some male damselflies hover in front of females or over the oviposition site during courtship; sometimes females also hover in response.
[23][24]
After mating, males may hover-guard their mate by either circling over her or by hovering while attached to her in
tandem. Males hover-guarding in tandem do not need wings at all to remain suspended in the air; they are held aloft by
clasping their mate with their
abdomen, and can maintain their position even when the
head and
thorax are removed by predators.
[25][26]
Many
bee species, such as
bumblebees, hover momentarily as they approach flowers to feed.
[27]
Males of some species, including
carpenter bees and
carder bees, also hover while patrolling their territories.
[28][29][30]
Among the social
wasps,
Stenogastrinae are known as hover wasps due to their distinctive hovering flight.
[31]
Males often hover to display banding patterns on their abdomen as a territorial display.
[32][33]
Among the solitary wasps,
parasitoid species such as
scoliid wasps exhibit hovering behaviour while hunting for prey to feed their larvae.
[34][35]
Males of some parasitoids may hover briefly while they patrol their territories, seeking females and chasing away rivals.
[36][37][38]
Certain
seabirds can windhover by soaring or flapping into the wind; often this behaviour takes advantage of
thermals whipping off a coastal
cliff.
[45][46]
Tropicbirds can even fly backwards against a strong headwind;
Red-tailed tropicbird pairs use this ability to circle each other during courtship displays.
[47][48]
Smaller seabirds such as
shearwaters and
storm petrels feed by hovering low over the water surface,
[49]
flapping with half-open wings and paddling with their feet in a technique called "pattering" or "sea-anchoring".
[50][51]
The waves are accompanied by a slight horizontal wind that enables the birds to soar in place while using their feet to steady themselves.
[52]