
This photo captures two of nature's most wonderful oddities: hummingbirds and heliconias!
Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds in the world and can fly as fast as 60 miles per hour in a dive. Contrary to popular belief, they don't suck up nectar through their beaks like a straw--they lap it up with their long, pointy tongues!
Heliconias are sometimes called lobster claws or parrot flowers because of their waxy, beak-like cups, called "bracts." These bracts hide the flowers, keeping their sweet nectar tucked away so that only specialized birds can get to it.
This photo was taken at the Costa Rica Nature Pavilion by Nelson Mena.