While people buy alcohol when they want a drink or two, some animals manage to produce it within their bodies.
The new study from University of California shows that hummingbirds can actually be drunk, so they explored whether birds like it or not.
Let's find out more.
The study
Backyard hummingbird feeders filled with sugar water create a natural fermentation experiment as yeast converts sugar into alcohol.
This raises questions for biologist Robert Dudley from the University of California, Berkeley, such as the amount of alcohol hummingbirds consume and their attraction or aversion to it.
Dudley conducted a study using male Anna's hummingbirds and found that they willingly consume sugar water with up to 1% alcohol, but their intake decreases when the alcohol content reaches 2%.
These findings suggest that ethanol may be a natural part of hummingbirds' diets.
What does it mean?
While the research does not indicate intoxication, it provides insights into alcohol consumption in animals and its potential evolutionary significance.
Future studies will explore the alcohol content in flowers and frequency of consumption by birds, expanding the research to other nectar-feeding species.
Understanding ethanol consumption in animals may contribute to insights into human alcohol attraction and misuse.
