Which bird is widely known as the only bird capable of sustained backward flight?

Introduction / Context:
Bird flight is a favourite topic in general knowledge because different birds have very different flying abilities. This question focuses on a special ability, sustained backward flight, and asks you to identify the bird that is famous for this unique skill. Knowing this helps you answer many animal and birds questions in competitive exams quickly.

Given Data / Assumptions:

We are asked to choose the bird that can fly backward in a controlled way. The options include parrot, hummingbird, albatross, penguin and kingfisher. We consider normal sustained powered flight, not momentary drifting or manoeuvring.

Concept / Approach:
Most birds can only fly forward and can only move sideways or briefly backward by gliding or turning their bodies. Hummingbirds are an exception due to their highly specialized wing structure and flight muscles. They can beat their wings in a figure eight pattern that produces lift both on the forward and backward stroke. This allows them to hover in place and to fly backwards, forwards, sideways and even upside down for short moments. Other birds mentioned in the options are capable fliers or swimmers, but none of them can sustain backward flight in the way hummingbirds do.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that penguins are flightless and use their flipper like wings only for swimming. Step 2: Albatrosses are famous for gliding long distances over the ocean but do not hover or fly backward. Step 3: Parrots and kingfishers can perform agile turns and manoeuvres, yet they still rely on forward flight and cannot truly hover like hummingbirds. Step 4: Hummingbirds can beat their wings extremely rapidly and generate lift throughout the wing stroke, enabling them to hover near flowers. Step 5: Because of this reversible and symmetric wing motion, hummingbirds can fly backward in a stable and sustained way, making them the correct choice.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by recalling common nature documentaries or Zoo information boards that highlight hummingbirds as the only birds that can hover and fly backward like some insects. Another check is to think about how birds feed. Hummingbirds often feed from flowers while hovering, and to move away from a flower without turning their bodies, they simply reverse their wing motion and fly backward. None of the other listed birds have this feeding style or the required wing mechanics for such precise hovering and reverse flight.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Parrots are intelligent and agile, but their wing stroke is similar to that of typical birds, so they cannot maintain backward flight. Albatrosses are excellent long distance gliders but lack hovering ability. Penguins are flightless birds and move through water rather than air using their wings as flippers. Kingfishers are fast divers and short distance fliers that hunt fish with quick dives, but they do not hover in the hummingbird style and cannot truly fly backward.

Common Pitfalls:
Many students guess parrot because parrots are associated with clever tricks and acrobatics, or they overestimate the skill of birds like kingfishers that can hover briefly before diving. However, these behaviours are not the same as true sustained backward flight. Remember that the special hovering and reverse flight ability is a hallmark of hummingbirds and is frequently highlighted in basic biology and general knowledge sources. Associating backward flight specifically with hummingbirds will help you avoid confusion in similar questions.

Final Answer:
The only bird known for sustained backward flight is the hummingbird.