Do you know that hummingbirds do not have any sense of smell but they can hear far better than us?The hummingbirds are the only species of birds that can fly backward. They do this with the help of their proportionately larger wings.Hummingbirds are the smallest type of bird. There are a number of species of hummingbirds, which all have their own specific qualities. For example, the Anna’s hummingbird is known for its distinctive song, while the bee hummingbird is known as the smallest breed of hummingbirds. The general character of a hummingbird is its needle-like beak and small size, and they fly at a high speed. There are so many facts about the beak of these birds.After you have discovered the important details about the shape, edges, and size of the hummingbird, have a further look inside more aspects of these birds by reading about when do hummingbirds lay eggs and when do hummingbirds come out?Can a hummingbird open its beak?The hummingbirds are one of the most fascinating bird species because of their tiny size and needle-like beaks. Their beak seems like it never opens.When you see a hummingbird feeding on the nectar of flowers, you can never see its beak open. It looks like their beaks are not made to open. Does this mean that they are not capable of opening their beaks?Well, no. The hummingbirds can open their beaks like any other bird. They do this when they have to catch an insect to eat. Yes, the hummingbirds also eat insects and not just flower nectar. A hummingbird can open only the tip of its beak but can open its mouth wide enough to catch and swallow the insect.Why do hummingbirds have their beaks closed when feeding?The beak of a hummingbird seems to be closed when they are feeding on flower nectar. Well, it is true that they keep their beaks closed while feeding. This is because they do not use their beak for feeding, but to protect their tongue.The hummingbirds suck up the nectar from flowers using their tongue. Their tongue is so delicate that it needs to be protected, and the beak performs this function. These small birds have fork-shaped tongues which help them in transferring the nectar from flowers to their throat.What is the beak of a hummingbird called?A hummingbird’s beak is so unique and amazing that the birdwatchers have given it a specific name. A hummingbird’s beak is called a bill. The term bill is also used to compare other bird beaks.The reason for giving a specific name, like bill, to the beak of a hummingbird is the distinct needle-like feature of its beak. Some people say straw-like beak, some say it looks like a sword. Bill is a name given to the hummingbird’s beak to specify it.Is a hummingbird’s beak hard or soft?The hummingbirds have a normal beak, as other birds have. It is just that these birds have a distinct type of beak which makes them unique among all the bird families.Some species of birds have hard beaks and some have soft ones, it depends on the nature and feeding practices of the bird.The hummingbirds have a soft beak to protect their even softer tongue. They open the tip of their bills to peep out the tongue and suck the nectar to fill their small tummy. The soft nature of the beak allows them to open only the tip, instead of the entire beak. Also, these soft bills are flexible, so they can bend to reach any hard-reaching sections.Can a hummingbird break its beak?The hummingbirds have a soft and long needle-like beak that seems so fragile that it can be broken by a slight force. They are so delicate that they can break even just by bumping into a closed window.It can also break by forcefully accessing the feeder with comparatively narrow holes for food.When a broad-billed hummingbird’s beak gets broken or shape is modified, it will face a lot of difficulties to drink water, feed through natural food sources, or even through feeders. Because of this non-ability to feed, they often die due to starvation.How do hummingbirds use their tongues and beaks?The hummingbirds have a long beak and a long tongue. These birds of North America feed mainly through their tongue by the method of, what the experts call it, the capillary action.This small bird sticks its beak to the flower and uses its tongue to draw the nectar inside its mouth and retracts it back to repeat the process. This is why they close their bills while feeding.The tongues of these birds have hair which helps in drawing more and more nectar from flowers. The beak helps them to reach deep into the flowers. The hummingbirds have a special ability to increase and decrease the length of their tongue. They can lengthen their tongues from 3-13 times longer, and that too at a very high speed which took only a time span of less than one second.What happens if a hummingbird has a hooked beak?The soft beak of a hummingbird is flexible to move up to 25 degrees to reach the far and hard reach zones. So it is possible that they may have damaged their beaks or bills by bending the wrong parts of the beak. This results in a hook-shaped beak, which is quite unusual.Now you are probably thinking that if the beak of the bird is damaged then it will not be able to feed. But, in this case, the bird adapts itself to feed through the bent bills. Bent bills are not a very big problem for these birds, they can survive with them.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for hummingbird beak then why not take a look at when do hummingbirds come back, or snowcap hummingbird facts.
Do you know that hummingbirds do not have any sense of smell but they can hear far better than us?
