Hummingbirds Hummingbirds hover over
flowers to obtain
nectar, flapping their
wings at up to 70 beats per second. Archilochus colubris-male hovering.jpg|
Ruby-throated hummingbird Sword-billed hummingbird (male) at Guango Lodge, Ecuador (21310837273).jpg|
Sword-billed hummingbird Bats 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.
Kingfishers Small
Kingfishers such as
Belted kingfisher may hover over water before diving in to catch fish. Larger species such as
Ringed kingfisher are too heavy to hover for more than a few seconds. s can hover, the picture shows a
Blue Tit and a
Great Tit hovering and looking for a place to enter a
bird feeder.
Moths Sphinx moths 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. Hemaris thysbe-hovering nectaring.jpg|
Hummingbird clearwing Broad-bordered bee hawk-moth patuxent research refuge 7.9.21 DSC 1713.jpg|
Broad-bordered bee hawk-moth Clearwing moths Some clearwing moths (family
Sesiidae) also hover while nectaring or
puddling. Females may also hover to inspect
ovipositing sites. Chamaesphecia bibioniformis-male hovering.jpg|
Chamaesphecia bibioniformis Eichlinia cucurbitae-hovering dorsal.jpg|
Squash vine borer File:Bumblebee mimic.webm|thumbtime=0|
Hemaris diffinis is an excellent bumblebee mimic
Hoverflies 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, while female hovering serves to inspect
ovipositing sites. 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. 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. File:Bombylius egg ejection 290310 1504.gif|
Bombylius egg ejection File:Bombylius major-hovering.jpg|
Large bee-fly File:Bombylius canescens-male hovering.jpg|
Western bee-fly Odonata Odonata is an
insect order 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.
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. File:Aeshna juncea hovering.jpg|
Sedge darner male File:Anax junius-hovering.jpg|
Green darner male File:Tramea lacerata-flying tandem separated.jpg|
Black saddlebags pair hovering over oviposition site Pachydiplax longipennis-female ovipositing.webm|
Blue dasher Plathemis lydia-ovipositing.webm|
Common whitetail Damselflies Some male damselflies hover in front of females or over the oviposition site during courtship; sometimes females also hover in response. 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. File:Calopteryx maculata-male hovering.jpg|
Ebony jewelwing male hover-patrolling File:Argia moesta-male hovering.jpg|
Powdered dancer male hover-patrolling File:Argia moesta-ovipositing.jpg|
Powdered dancer males hover-guarding
Hymenoptera Bees Many
bee species, such as
bumblebees, hover momentarily as they approach flowers to feed. Males of some species, including
carder bees, hover while patrolling their territories. File:Bombus fervidus-hovering.jpg|
Golden northern bumble bee Xylocopa nasalis-hovering.jpg|
Oriental carpenter bee Anthidium manicatum-male hovering.jpg|
European wool carder bee Large eyed male
carpenter bees primarily hover to protect their territory and attract female carpenter bees. Hovering allows them to spot intruders and other male competitors. When a male carpenter bee encounters an intruder, including a person and other mammals, it may dart towards it to chase it away. Males often hover to display banding patterns on their abdomen as a territorial display. Among the solitary wasps,
parasitoid species such as
scoliid wasps exhibit hovering behaviour while hunting for prey to feed their larvae. Males of some parasitoids may hover briefly while they patrol their territories, seeking females and chasing away rivals. ==Wind hoverers==