Bendy Beaks Give Bigger Bite

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Bendy beaks give bigger bite for hummingbirds, as described in Nature vol 428, p615 and Nature Science Update 8 Apr 2004. Hummingbirds have long narrow beaks, well designed for feeding on flower nectar. However, hummingbirds also eat insects in order to get more protein in their diet. Most birds that feed on insects have short beaks that open wide – very different from hummingbirds. Gregor Yanega and Margaret Rubega of the University of Connecticut, filmed hummingbirds catching insects and noted that the birds are able to open their beaks wide by bending the outer half of their lower jaw downwards. This seems to be a unique specialty of hummingbirds, not seen in any other bird.

Editorial Comment: Hummingbirds have many unique features that make them good evidence for creation. The fact that hummingbirds use their flexible beak to eat insects today does not mean they were originally designed for that. A wider gape would enable them to eat other types of food, such as berries, in the original good world that God made, where all animals and birds ate plants. After Noah’s flood the environment was devastated and man, animals and birds were given permission to eat meat. (Ref. hummingbird, beak, diet)