The wet-shake:
Krulwich is awed by a new paper's findings:
The Anna's hummingbird whips its head back and forth 202 degrees — which is more than half way around — at the amazing rate of 132 times every second, and not while standing in place, legs on the ground like a dog or a deer. No, it does this while flying through the air! So it's shaking, navigating AND flapping at the same time.
Why it's important:
A little drop of rainwater is a heavy burden when you only weigh an eighth of an ounce. If you can't flick it off, you'll either need a lot of extra calories or you'd better hide on rainy days (and starve, because Anna hummingbirds live in cloud forests.)
The Dish 