The Rufous Hummingbird visits Los Alamos for about a month but definitely makes his presense known. They usually find a hummingbird feeder and chase away any other hummingbirds that approach. He can get away with this because his wings beat much faster than the other hummingbirds in the area. The Rufous has a wingbeat of 60 beats/second versus 30 beats/second for the other hummers. This along with his attitude lets him be the bully on block. Here is a shot showing the hummingbirds have tiny tongues which they use to slurp up the nectar   (Click). Their beak is not a straw! He also feeds at the many flowers in bloom in late summer:   (Click) .

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