Through The Straw

That red "straw" through which this Gila [hee'-la] woodpecker is sucking nectar is his tongue. I mentioned to someone in a previous blip that this is a new "bee-proof" feeder.  The feature which makes it so is the narrow tube which extends through the center of the yellow flower directly into the nectar; it is not simply an open port. It's perfect for hummingbirds because their long tongues can reach through, and slightly expand, the tube. 

Apparently, so can those of a Gila woodpecker!