Hi! Paul,

Paul Rogers -> David Williams wrote:
 DW>> Apparently, New Zealand sparrows and "white eyes"
(whatever they are)
 DW>> can duplicate this feat. I'm pretty sure I've seen seagulls doing it
 DW>> too.
 PR> Not hovering in a breeze which pushes them back, but controlled
 PR> flight backwards in still air.

Oh, in that case we've observed one of our (indoor) cockatiels do exactly
that.  Once during a short flight across a large room something in the
landing zone moved, it might have been a piece of paper blown by a fan or a
book slid off of a stack, so she (the bird) back-stepped midair and did a
hovering 90-degree turn to an alternate landing zone some few feet away. 
Amazing for a 'dash' flyer that they are.

Cheers,
Paul.

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