Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures. They are the smallest of all birds, yet they are some of the most remarkable. Their tiny wings can beat up to 80 times per second, allowing them to hover in midair and even fly backwards! But it’s not just their wings that are incredible – their tongues are equally astonishing. A hummingbird’s tongue is an engineering marvel that allows these tiny birds to nimbly extract nectar from flowers. So just how far can their mini tongues reach? Let’s take a closer look.
Anatomy of a Hummingbird’s Tongue
A hummingbird has a long, skinny tongue that allows it to reach deep into tubular flowers to access the nectar within. Their tongues are actually twice as long as their beaks! The average hummingbird tongue is about 1-1.5 inches long. Here are some key facts about the anatomy of a hummingbird’s tongue:
– The tongue is forked at the tip, forming two tubes. This allows nectar to move up both tubes at once, increasing feeding efficiency.
– The tongue tubes have fringed edges that can flare out to match the shape of different flowers. This helps the tongue grip the nectar.
– The tongue retracts into a sheath when not in use to avoid injury. Muscles rapidly dart the tongue in and out of the sheath.
– Grooves along the length of the tongue direct nectar toward the throat via capillary action.
– Saliva helps coat and extend the tongue, allowing it to reach farther into flowers.
The specialized structure of a hummingbird’s forked tongue allows it to rapidly lap up liquid nectar and draw it back into the body with remarkable speed and precision. Their tongue has evolved to perfectly match the types of flowers they feed from.
How Hummingbirds Use Their Tongues to Feed
Hummingbirds have mastered the art of using their unique tongues to feed. Here is the quick process:
1. The hummingbird hovers up to a flower and precisely inserts its bill into the blossom. The tongue slides out of the sheath and into the flower.
2. The fringed tubes on the end of the tongue flare out to match the shape of the flower. This helps the tongue grip the nectar.
3. Contraction of internal muscles rapidly pumps the tongue in and out. Capillary action draws nectar into the tubes. Saliva helps coat and extend the tongue.
4. Specialized grooves transport the nectar from the tubes up to the esophagus and into the stomach.
5. The rapid flicking motion of the tongue allows the hummingbird to lap up nectar at a speed of about 13 licks per second!
This repeated rapid extension and retraction of the tongue allows hummingbirds to feed at a quick pace. The split tube design maximizes surface area and nectar intake with each lick. This enables them to efficiently obtain the large amounts of energy needed to power their metabolically demanding hovering flight.
Reach into Different Flower Types
Different flower shapes present unique challenges, but a hummingbird’s tongue is perfectly primed for each type. Here’s how their tongues cleverly adapt:
Tubular flowers: Many of their favorite flowers have long, narrow openings that only a slender, forked tongue can reach into. Trumpet vines, honeysuckles, and varieties of sage all have tubular blossoms that require probing tongues to access the nectar reward deep within.
Blossoms with spreads: Many petaled flowers like lilies and fuchsias have complex shapes. A hummingbird’s forking tongue can pinch in at the tips and spread outward to match the contour of these blossoms and extract nectar efficiently.
Artificial feeders: At human-supplied feeders, hummingbirds plunge their tongues deeply into the artificial flower ports. Incredibly, they are able to lap up nectar even when their bill is barely inserted into the feeder.
No matter what the flower shape, a hummingbird’s forked tongue has the agility and adaptability to conform to its contour and slurp up the nectar.
Tongue Length vs Flower Depth
Different hummingbird species have different tongue lengths adapted for specialized feeding roles. The match between tongue length and flower depth impacts how effective they can be at extracting nectar. Here’s how tongue sizes match up with flower depths:
Hermits – Their curved bills and elongated tongues allow them to reach nectar 1.5-4 inches within flowers. Hermit hummingbirds like the rufous-breasted hermit have tongues over 2 inches long to match extremely long tubular flowers adapted specifically for their pollination.
Bees – Bee hummingbird tongues reach about .6 inches to match their main nectar source – flowers of the Cubana orchid.
Giant hummingbirds – Their tongues are about 1.3 inches to gain access to agave plants and other large blossoms.
The average hummingbird – Most species have tongues 1-1.5 inches long perfect for feeding from garden flowers and bottlebrush plants which have slightly tubular blossoms.
So a hermit hummingbird’s tongue can reach over 4 inches into a flower, while a bee hummingbird’s tongue only reaches .6 inches. The match between tongue and flower results from coevolution. This encourages the birds to become loyal pollinators for certain plant species.
Unique Adaptations for Feeding While Hovering
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can power sustained hovering. This presents challenges, but the hummingbird tongue has adapted in amazing ways:
– Their flexible tongue tubes and tiny grooves help draw nectar even while hovering midair and moving from flower to flower.
– Dividing the tongue provides a larger surface area for nectar lapping while in flight.
– Capillary action eliminates the need for gravity or muscle contractions to draw nectar into the throat. This works while hovering upside down!
– coatingSaliva acting as a nectar-adhering coating prevents nectar from spilling back out of the tubes. This allows hummingbirds to vacuum up more per lick.
– Smaller size – Bee hummingbird tongues are just .6 inches long, perfectly sized for hover feeding from tiny blossoms.
– Fast licking – Hover feeding necessitates extracting nectar quickly and efficiently. Rapid tongue darting in and out allows hummingbirds to lick up to 13 times per second while feeding on the wing!
A hummingbird’s tongue is thus uniquely designed to allow these magical hover feeders to capture nectar while suspended in midair.
Why Hummingbird Tongues are the Perfect Length
When we dig into the characteristics and feeding mechanics of hummingbirds, it soon becomes clear that their tongues are perfectly designed for their unique nectar feeding strategy. Here are some reasons why hummingbird tongue proportions are so well suited to their feeding needs:
– Matches tubular flower depths – The average 1-1.5 inch tongue length allows access to nectar within most tubular blossoms. Specialized species match even longer flowers.
– Maximizes hover feeding – Shorter tongues on smaller species provide ample surface area for lapping up nectar efficiently while hovering.
– Enhances specialization – Some species have evolved to match particular flower shapes and depths, forming a cooperative pollination partnership.
– Provides capillary fluid action – Shorter tongue grooves allow excellent nectar uptake without needing muscle contractions.
– Permits rapid darting – A shorter tongue allows for very fast extension and retraction while feeding on the wing.
– Allows tongue sheathing when not in use – The tongue tucks away into a protective sheath when retracted, avoiding damage.
– Enables tongue contouring – A shorter tongue can more easily conform to match the shape of different flowers.
The next time you see a hummingbird hover up to feed, remember its tongue is an ingeniously designed tool exquisitely adapted to suit the bird’s unique feeding style and preferences. The proportions are perfectly sized to allow hummingbirds to nimbly and efficiently feed while in flight.
How Far Can a Hummingbird Stick Out Its Tongue?
Hummingbirds sometimes display just how far they can extend their tongues while feeding. Here are some astonishing ways hummingbirds show off their tongue acrobatics:
– Feed with bill barely inserted in a flower or feeder, tongue extended out to reach deep nectar stores.
– Stick tongue out and bend it upwards, flicking it in the air to snatch tiny insects.
– Probe tongue deep into tubular blossoms that exceed bill length, demonstrating extreme tongue extension.
– Feed upside down from underneath a flower, with the tongue pointing up and extending unusually far outside the bill.
– Perform a sudden burst of rapid tongue flicks beyond the bill, showing off their lightning speed lapping capability.
When hovering and feeding, hummingbirds typically extend their tongues 1 to 1.5 inches beyond the tip of their bills to plunge deep into a flower’s nectary. But they can project their tongues even farther when necessary – some species can elongate their tongues over 5 inches beyond the bill when accessing specialized food sources!
Incredible Facts About Hummingbird Tongues
After learning about the anatomy and functionality of hummingbird tongues, it’s clear they have some amazing adaptations. Here are some incredible facts to appreciate just how extraordinary hummingbird tongues really are:
– Their tongues are twice as long as their bills. This allows them to drink while hovering without inserting much of their bill into a flower.
– A hummingbird’s tongue pulls in and out of the sheath up to 13 times per second while feeding. This rapid darting allows them to ingest a large quantity of nectar quickly.
– Grooves along the edge of the tongue operate by capillary action to move liquid efficiently without any suction or pumping required.
– Forking at the tip maximizes the surface area for nectar intake with each extrusion and retraction of the tongue.
– Saliva helps adhere nectar to the tongue and allows it to extend farther into flowers and feeders.
– The tubes taper down from the base, allowing the tongue to fully retract into its sheath for protection.
– Muscles in the tongue rapidly change its shape to match unique flower contours while feeding on the fly.
– Some species like the sword-billed hummingbird have co-evolved with specialized tubular flowers, developing tongues over 4 inches long to match them.
– At high speeds recorded by slow motion cameras, a hummingbird’s tongue darting looks like a highly calibrated sewing machine needle moving with extreme precision.
The next time you see a hummingbird lick up nectar with its forked tongue, remember just how complex and incredible this essential organ really is!
Conclusion
A hummingbird’s feeding abilities are astounding. Their rapidly fluttering wings allow them to hover suspended while their darting tongues lap up nectar at lightning speeds. The tiny size yet extreme elongation of their forked tongues permits them to delve deep into tubular blossoms and withdraw the life-sustaining nectar within. Without their remarkable tongues, hummingbirds would not be able to feed as quickly and efficiently as they need to power their high-energy lifestyle. The next time you see these shimmering jewels of nature at your feeder or flower garden, take a moment to appreciate the masterful design of their feeding and pollination apparatus!
