Hummers Keep Flight Gear in Tip-Top Shape Photo courtesy of Harlan and Altus Aschen. They fly forward and backward at lightning speed. They hover in one place long enough to drink a nectar meal, or zigzag through the air catching tiny insects in their mouths. These tiny flying jewels are winged wonders in the air. Preening is what it takes, and all birds do it.
Birds preen to remove parasites and to clean and oil their feathers.
Hummingbirds have fewer feathers than other birds. But even a tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird has about 940 feathers to keep in order, so it stops flying several times a day to preen. Make sure the perch is sturdy. You want to give your hummers a safe place to perch as they preen, where they can survey their feeding territory. A misting hose or a mister near a hummer feeder will help too, as hummers enjoy zipping through the spraying water.