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Hummingbird Sighting
Sightings report image

Date: 10/05/2017

Number: 1

Just the male today.

Editor's Note: Is this hummingbird using its beak to hawk insects?
Hummingbird beaks seem to be perfectly shaped for extracting nectar from flowers, but how do they work for hunting insects?

Insects are important sources of protein for hummers. Thanks to high-speed photography, researchers discovered how a hummer bill snags insects. The lower half of the open beak will bend downward, even though it has no joint. This bending action pulls the hummer’s mouth (gape) open wide enough to catch insects. When catching insects on the wing, hummers and other birds are said to be hawking.

Cocoa, FL

Latitude: 28.5 Longitude: -80.8

Observed by: dave
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