By Susan Milius
High-speed videos of hummingbirds catching fruit flies show that the birds’ lower bills are unexpectedly flexible, say researchers.
In three species with straight, narrow bills, the lower half can bend downward part way along its length, even though it has no joint, says Gregor M. Yanega of the University of Connecticut in Storrs. The motion also flares open a bird’s mouth to gape extra wide.