As I have said before, just about anything can spark a possible topic for a post and this one is no different. My niece is taking anatomy in college this semester and this got me to thinking about the anatomy of the hummingbird. While I have discovered many interesting things about the hummingbird’s anatomy, this particular post will discuss the eyelids of the hummingbird.
It is interesting to note that the hummingbird has three eyelids. A hummingbird has two regular eyelids which serve to block the light. The third eyelid or Nictitating Membrane is clear and serves to protect the hummingbird’s eyes during flight.
Anatomy is not a course in which I myself would have done well had I ever studied it in college. Science was not my favorite subject, but nevertheless I am amazed and fascinated by how complex anatomy can be and that every organ or part serves a very specific function. This is true in humans and in the creatures found in nature.
2 replies on “Hummingbirds Have Three Eyelids”
Fantastic write-up. This is just a notably nicely structured blog post. Just the info I was searching for. I am grateful.
A female broad-tailed flew into our house and we waited for her to tire out to help her back outside (which was successful). But as I approached the poor thing, her eyelids were closed or tired looking and they seemed so thick! Now I know why: there are three of them ? Thank you!