CT scans of sunbird and hummingbird beaks (IMAGE)
Caption
CT scans reveal striking bill and tongue differences between the olive sunbird (Cyanomitra olivacea, top) and Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna, bottom). Cross sections at several places along the bill show that, from base to tip, the sunbird tongue shifts from a U-shaped trough to a closed tube, while the hummingbird tongue transforms from two solid rods into twin hollow tubes. The U-shaped base of the sunbird tongue interacts with the upper bill to create the suction the birds use to sip nectar from flowers.
Credit
Cynthia Wang-Claypool/UC Berkeley
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