Hummingbirds DON'T use their beak like a straw to drink nectar

You wouldn't be alone in thinking a hummingbird's beak - otherwise known as a bill - looks like a drinking straw, but that's not how they are used.

According to a study by The University of Washington, they move their bills and tongues very quickly to drink a flower's nectar.

Nectar is a sugary liquid made by the flowers of plants.

Experts already knew the Hummingbird's tongue was involved, but this research also shows the important role the bill has to play.

They found it's very flexible, with intricate and delicate movements all designed to help lap up and drink the sweet liquid.

Hummingbirds use their long bill and tongue to drink nectar while they're flying

The team collected high-speed video footage of individual hummingbirds from six different species drinking from see-through feeders which was how they were able to see the intricate bill movements.

The hummingbird will open just the tip of its bill when it extends its tongue.

It then opens the base of its bill slightly to draw the nectar up, keeping the midsection tightly shut.

It then closes the tip when the tongue brings in nectar and repeats this 10-15 times a second. That's fast!

Alejandro Rico-Guevara is an assistant professor of biology at the University of Washington and the lead author of the paper. He said:

"Most hummingbirds drink while they're hovering mid-flight," explaing that it uses a lot of energy.

"So, hummingbirds are trying to minimize energy and drink as fast as they can — all from these hard-to-reach spaces — which requires special adaptations for speed and efficiency."