Uploaded December 2019 | Updated September 2026, 7 hours ago
While feeding, the hummingbird’s tongue is flicking in and out of its bill fifteen or twenty times every second. When the hummingbird draws its tongue back into its bill at the end of each lick, its bill squeezes the tongue from above and below, squeezing out the nectar from the two tubes at the end. When the bird sticks its tongue out again, the tubes are able to expand. Compressing the tubes stores potential energy in their walls, so when the tubes start to expand again, that energy is released, and it draws nectar inside. Every time the bird presses its tongue to release a new mouthful of nectar, it’s also re-setting the pump for another mouthful.
Read the full story here: discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/video-hummingbird-tongues-act-like-tiny-pumps
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Credit: Rico-Guevara Alejandro, Fan Tai-Hsi and Rubega Margaret A. Hummingbird tongues are elastic micropumps282Proc. R. Soc. B. doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.1014
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While feeding, the hummingbird’s tongue is flicking in and out of its bill fifteen or twenty times every second. When the hummingbird draws its tongue back into its bill at the end of each lick, its bill squeezes the tongue from above and below, squeezing out the nectar from the two tubes at the end. When the bird sticks its tongue out again, the tubes are able to expand. Compressing the tubes stores potential energy in their walls, so when the tubes start to expand again, that energy is released, and it draws nectar inside. Every time the bird presses its tongue to release a new mouthful of nectar, it’s also re-setting the pump for another mouthful.
Read the full story here: discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/video-hummingbird-tongues-act-like-tiny-pumps
—
Credit: Rico-Guevara Alejandro, Fan Tai-Hsi and Rubega Margaret A. Hummingbird tongues are elastic micropumps282Proc. R. Soc. B. doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.1014
—
ABOUT DISCOVER:
Discover is your source for science that matters, makes sense and is a lot of fun, too.
Visit us at: discovermagazine.com
FOLLOW US:
Facebook: facebook.com/DiscoverMag
Twitter: twitter.com/DiscoverMag
Instagram: instagram.com/discover.magazine
SUPPORT US:
Subscribe to Discover: bit.ly/34seAFT
Sign up for our newsletter: discovermagazine.com/newsletter-signup
My Science Shop: myscienceshop.com
STAY CURIOUS!
