Hummingbird bills – their long, thin beaks – look a bit like straws. The frenetic speed at which they extract nectar from flowers and garden feeders can make it seem like the bills also act as straws. But new research shows how limited this comparison is in water or nectar. Far from being a straw, the study reveals the surprising flexibility of the hummingbird’s beak. The team discovered that a drinking hummingbird rapidly opens and closes different parts of its beak simultaneously, engaging in a complex, highly coordinated dance with its tongue to suck up nectar at lightning speed. Previous research has shown that hummingbirds extend their tongues in rapid movements when drinking nectar. But scientists didn’t know what role the beak itself played in feeding. By analyzing the images and combining them with data from micro-CT scans of hummingbird specimens, the researchers discovered the complex beak movements that drive drinking: 1) to extend the tongue, the hummingbird only opens the tip of its beak, 2) after the tongue. brings nectar, the tip of the beak closes, 3) to suck the nectar towards the top of the beak, the hummingbird keeps the middle part of the beak tightly closed, while slightly opening the base, and 4) then it opens its mouth again tip to extend the tongue for a new cycle.