Yesterday I learned something new:
This is not the greatest picture of a hummingbird that I've ever taken, but out of my thousands of frames of hummingbird pictures I've never before seen one with its beak open. In fact, I didn't even realize their beaks could open.
But they can, and apparently they open mainly when hummingbirds are trying to catch insects to eat. How about that?
Never thought about this, but interesting.
As has been said, Google is your friend, search for
hummingbird open beak photos
They have feathery bristles on their tongues to slurp up nectar.
Hummingbird tongue technique,
https://phys.org/news/2015-08-hummingbird-tongues-tiny-nectar.html
er, meant this one,
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/significant-loss-of-brain-grey-matter-after-covid-19.1004274/
Doh!
this one,
https://phys.org/news/2011-05-hummingbird-tongue-video.html
I am surprised that this usually informative photographer didn't provide details of how this shot was taken, since it seems to capture a hummingbird at rest - no wing movement, or at least not seen at that speed - while it does show that open-beak action. Amazing to me, not having remembered their entire diets.
Hummingbirds (and other birds, too) yawn, just like people do.
I've always heard that hummingbirds eat a lot of spiders.
What they really want to do is suck out your eyeball, which is why I never go anywhere without my glasses.
Hummingbirds satisfy their high energy requirements primarily from nectar, but like all animals they need protein as well.
Especially growing nestlings re the insect protein.
If it didn’t open would it be a beak, or would it be a tusk?
A few Springs ago there was a hummingbird fluttering outside my kitchen window picking off cobwebs for its nest and I could hear its beak clapping as it worked. That's how I learned about this magic power of theirs.
Re Kevin,s "they open mainly when hummingbirds are trying to catch insects to eat"
There's an ant crawling on the feeder right in front of the bird. Why is the hummingbird paying no heed?
Ants are bitter. Hummingbirds prefer sweet things.
Just heard a "Short Wave" podcast about hummingbirds. They also have little teeth on the beak that they use when fighting each other (mostly males) over a flower. Speculation is that the teeth are used for yanking feathers out of their opponent!
Well I knew that. There's not a lot of protein in sugar water.