The clients data weekly one hour visits to a local nature preserve to observe bald eagles over a six month period the temperature is recorded each visit each bald eagle observed in flight is tracked for 30 seconds the number of wing beats is counted over that 30 seconds 25 of the birds only soar while observed the remaining eagles flap 10 40 times. Image credit steve byland shutterstockcom the ruby throated hummingbird takes bragging rights as the bird with the fastest wing beat particularly during courtship flapping at about 200 beats per second this rate outdoes other hummingbirds which typically hit about 90 beats per second with their wings. It can be challenging to identify a distant bald eagle in flight but there is an easy way to tell an eagle from a vulture or hawk while large hawks soar with raised wings and turkey vultures hold their wings in a shallow v shape the bald eagle soars with its wings essentially flat