Data from: Hummingbirds control hovering flight by stabilizing visual motion

We filmed hummingbirds hovering in front of a projection screen with the prediction that projecting moving patterns would disrupt hovering stability but stationary patterns would allow the hummingbird to stabilize position. When hovering in the presence of moving gratings and spirals, hummingbirds lost positional stability and responded to the specific orientation of the moving visual stimulus. There was no loss of stability with stationary versions of the same stimulus patterns.

When exposed to a single stimulus many times or to a weakened stimulus that combined a moving spiral with a stationary checkerboard, the response to looming motion declined. However, even minimal visual motion was sufficient to cause a loss of positional stability despite prominent stationary features. Collectively, these experiments demonstrate that hummingbirds control hovering position by stabilizing motions in their visual field.

The high sensitivity and persistence of this disruptive response is surprising, given that the hummingbird brain is highly specialized for sensory processing and spatial mapping, providing other potential mechanisms for controlling position.

Usage notes

Response to forward-backward, lateral, and vertical visual motion The raw 3D traces for bird head position for this experiment. Analysis of these data is presented in figures 1 and 2 of the main article. response to forward-backward, lateral, and vertical visual motion.zip Response to offset spiral center The raw 3D traces for bird head position for this experiment. Analysis of these data is presented in figure 3 of the main article. response to offset spiral center.zip Response change over time The raw 2D traces for bird head position for this experiment.

Analysis of these data is presented in figure 4 of the main article. response change over time.zip Response to combined stationary pattern and looming spiral The raw 3D traces for bird head position for this experiment. Analysis of these data is presented in figure 5 of the main article. response to combined stationary pattern and looming spiral.zip