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An interesting study on the Hummer's sweet tooth/tongue (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter KC Foggin
- Start date
NUMENIOS
Don't understand me too quickly, please!
"Excellent Birds ..."
... Laurie Anderson and Peter Gabriel sang many years ago. They also excel in knowing what is good for them if they spit out artificial sweeteners. Humans are not so wise, it seems.
Though interesting, the article puzzled me because it seemed to suggest that other birds do not have a perception for sweet. That looks illogical considering the fact that unripe fruit etc would not yield nearly as much energy as ripe (sweet) fruit and also is more difficult to digest due to high amounts of acids etc. Color of the fruit alone would hardly give all the necessary information unless the birds are experts on botany too ... I would expect other studies to follow - investigating the sweet beak of other birds.
Ivan
... Laurie Anderson and Peter Gabriel sang many years ago. They also excel in knowing what is good for them if they spit out artificial sweeteners. Humans are not so wise, it seems.
Though interesting, the article puzzled me because it seemed to suggest that other birds do not have a perception for sweet. That looks illogical considering the fact that unripe fruit etc would not yield nearly as much energy as ripe (sweet) fruit and also is more difficult to digest due to high amounts of acids etc. Color of the fruit alone would hardly give all the necessary information unless the birds are experts on botany too ... I would expect other studies to follow - investigating the sweet beak of other birds.
Ivan
NUMENIOS
Don't understand me too quickly, please!
Hello Lisa, I am absolutely surprised. This must mean that they are generally less timid than the Golden Orioles - the only ones I know from first-hand experience (sometimes you can stare into the tree tops for various hours, hearing their beautiful voices but never getting a glimpse of them). Unless you were living in the middle of some wonderful wilderness ...
Ivan
That does not follow, imho.
Orioles eat fruit chunks, as do many other birds, so I don't see why they should ever have lost the sweetness sensor. It is just that hummers are such a miracle of evolution, they rediscovered a way to sense sugar after losing it.
I see your point. Didn't think of it in that way.
NUMENIOS
Don't understand me too quickly, please!
Not a compliment
They are most welcome, all of them!
However, I fear that the Golden Oriole belongs to those birds that would rather opt for extinction than getting too close to humans. I don't want to think about what that says about the human race; but I'm sure it's hardly a compliment ...
Ivan
Bear in mind Ivan. If they're hungry they'll find your feeder
They are most welcome, all of them!
However, I fear that the Golden Oriole belongs to those birds that would rather opt for extinction than getting too close to humans. I don't want to think about what that says about the human race; but I'm sure it's hardly a compliment ...
Ivan
