Hummingbirds Digestive Adaptions

Hummingbirds have adapted their digestive system in order to sufficiently support their high caloric intake. They use their newly ingested sugars as a fuel for flight. They are able to quickly digest sugars for immediate use. It takes a hummingbird about 40 minutes to turn food into fuel whereas it can take a human up to 40 hours to digest. This is partly due to their small digestive tracks and the absorption of nutrients across the intestine. They also have a high capacity for paracellular and transcellular movement of glucose.