Hummingbirds do have a tongue, a tongue so long that it coils up around their skull and eyes once retracts back inside. This tongue of theirs is mostly used for consuming food whether it be to consume nectar from feeders, from flowers or hunting insects.

For a more detailed explanation of how the tongue functions, It’ll be explained down below.

What Is A Hummingbird Tongue Called?

A hummingbirds tongue isn’t really called anything, it’s simply referred to as their tongue but, certain functions of the tongue do have their own unique names.

Their tongues are fork shaped meaning that the body part splits into 2 when projected. The hair like texture on each fork of the tongue is what can be referred to as the lamelle. The lamelle probably plays the most crucial part in how hummingbirds actually feed on nectar, which is what I’ll be delving into a bit more detail below.

How Does A Hummingbird’s Tongue Work?

For a long time it was assumed that the tongue functioned like that of a capillary function, which means that it was believed hummingbirds used their tongues to allow liquids to flow towards themselves without gravity pushing it down. However, in a recent study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this was found not to be the case.

The study in question was done by Associate professor of ecology Margaret A. Rubega and graduate student Alejandro Rico-Guevara from the University of Connecticut. In this study the professor and student recorded 30 hummingbirds in slow motion to discern the movement of their tongue when feeding on nectar.

What they discovered was that when the birds whipped their tongues out to consume the nectar, the tongue would split in 2 with the hair like feature (lamelle), extending outwards also. Once sufficient nectar has been captured within the forked tongue, the lamelle would then close inwards trapping the source inside as it retracts back towards the bill.

In this experiment it was also discovered that once the tongue has retracted back just before exiting the pollen or sugar water, the lamelle will close automatically, whether the hummingbird is alive or dead. This simply means the closing process is instinctual for hummingbirds and expends little to no energy reserves when it happens.

Is A Hummingbird Tongue Like A Straw?

This may have been the consensus in the past but, as of the recent study mentioned above, a capillary or straw like action isn’t how hummingbirds actually consume nectar.

Instead they happen to spread their tongue outwards and then inwards to capture the nectar and retract it back into their bill once sufficient food has been captured. This action you could say is kind of like that of a pump.

How Long Is A Hummingbird’s Tongue?

Their tongues are quite long considering how small these birds tend it be. For example a ruby throated hummingbird’s tongue would measure at around 1.5 – 2cm in length. That is quite large considering these birds are only 7 – 9cm.

The reason the length can be this long is because of how the tongue wraps around their skull and eye to make up for the lack of space within their bills.

Summary

It should come as no surprise that hummingbirds do infact have tongues, and it’s a very important tool for these birds to eat and to some degree swallow their food. It works more like a pump as opposed to the suction force produced by a straw and it is quite long too.

All in all without the tongue, it would be difficult for these birds to survive in the wild as they are now so, it’s very much essential that they have one in order to consumer food and maintain their energy levels throughout the days and nights.