Hummingbirds flap their wings about 50 times per second, so all we ever see is a blur around them as they zip around the yard. The folks from National Geographic mounted a high-speed camera on a hummingbird feeder to get some incredible footage of the tiny birds. Not only do we get to see them flap their wings, but also slip their tongues into the nectar up close!
The bird feeder is enclosed in what looks like a wind tunnel, so the photographers can create and control conditions such as wind and rain. Keep watching, and you'll see a hummingbird bird shake the drops of water off its feathers. Watch those feathers shimmer in the light! -via Laughing Squid
The utterly fascinating thing is how stable the hummingbird's head is as it drink. Watching the body gyrate and shift just slightly and the head remains completely stable. Very cool.
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