(Source: University of Connecticut) A male long-billed hermit (Phaethornis longirostris) shows off his pointy beak, which he uses as a weapon during territorial disputes. (Photo by Maxime Aliaga) Tiny, swift, and iridescent, hummingbirds dart around flowers and feeders, sipping nectar with their seemingly delicate beaks. But new research shows that these beaks actually double as deft, dagger-like weapons that male hummingbirds use when fighting to stab at their opponents' throats. The discovery is the first evidence of weapons in male bills, and has big implications for understanding the evolution of...
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