October 5, 2025
The last of the migrating Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) came through a couple days ago, getting refills of energy at the Zinnias (Zinnia) that are in the garden.
I captured this one in pixels and was surprised to see that I actually got a picture of its tongue reaching into the flower for the nectar. Look closely and perhaps you’ll be able to see it. The tongue of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird is about 1.5 inches long and it is used in an incredible fashion.
The tongue is rather tubular and forked. As the tongue comes out the forked tips are held together, giving the tongue the look of a long needle. Reaching the nectar, it splits its hairlike structures along the tongue’s tips, unfurling in the nectar. As the hummingbird removes its tongue from the nectar those hairlike structures re-furl and trap nectar within each tongue tip. The nectar is released by the hummingbird, squeezing and compressing the tongue as it’s drawn into the bill. This process can occur up to twelve times a second. Amazing.
Several minutes later and another hummingbird came by for Zinnia nectar and another demonstration of the incredible action of its tongue.
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2 responses to “On Their Way!”
We are still getting at least 2 a day, and there’s a constant presence of a hummingbird at the DeeDee outside Don’s study window. Maybe it’s the ones we were feeding in Nova Scotia, who’ve been lollygagging on their way south….
Hi Jackie! Fun to think that some of them followed you home!
Autumn already? Is time flying or what?
So glad you read my posts!
Clem