Welcome to Word of the Week! Stay tuned for a new word each week to amp up your nature vocabulary!
Word of the week is Hallux [ ha·luhks ] (noun): the backward-directed digit in birds.
Did you know that mammals have halluces (plural of hallux) as well? For humans and other primates, the hallux is the first or innermost digit of each foot. Can you find your hallux? (Hint: it is your big toe!)
As this American Robin forages on sumac berries, you can see its strong hallux helping it perch on the branch. Photo by Andrew Yee.
