What is the only bird that can fly backward?

The only bird that can fly backward is the hummingbird. Hummingbirds have a special ball-in-joint shoulder socket that enables them to fly backwards, upside down and upright because it can be rotated 180 degrees. Hummingbirds hover by moving their wings in a figure-eight pattern.

Hummingbirds flap their wings an average of 80 times a second and need to feed every 10 minutes. A hummingbird feeds by inserting its bill into the center of tubular flowers and using its tongue, which is capable of 13 licks a minute, to extract the flower's nectar. The average lifespan of a newborn hummingbird is one year, but those that survive can live up to 12 years.