Bright feathers, bright brains: hummingbirds 'can order numerically'

Study claims tiny creatures can order things in sequence, but researchers say it does not confirm they can count

Hummingbirds are not only bright in appearance but also in brain, it would seem, with new research suggesting the tiny creatures are able to understand a numerical concept of order.

While hummingbirds have previously been found to visit flowers in particular sequences when foraging, researchers say the new study suggests this process could be based on the concept of first", second" and so on, rather than features such as specific flower location or nearby landmarks.