Today I Learned

UConn researchers examined 18 hummingbird species throughout the Americas for a recent study on hummingbird tongues. A common belief among biologists has long held that their feeding is facilitated by ‘wicking’ – capillary action that allows liquid to flow through small spaces without benefit of gravity. However, UConn researchers Alejandro Rico-Guevara, Maragret Rubega and Tai-Hsi Fan concluded that the ‘wicking theory’ is wrong, and that the bird’s tongue actually acts as a tiny pump. For more information on the study, check out this link: