Humdinger Hummingbirds

My cousin (I won't identify which one) suggested I do a post on hummingbirds.  He said he had a couple of hummingbird feeders in his yard and offered to take some pictures and send them to me.  I told him a post on hummingbirds was a great idea, but that I had one particular one in mind and wouldn't be able to use his pictures.  He emailed me back and said 'a hummingbird is a hummingbird'.  Oh really?

There are over THREE HUNDRED species of hummingbirds - somewhere between 325 and 340 - and they are the only birds that can fly backwards.  Like bees they are pollination specialists, redistributing pollen as they go from flower to flower.  They also take time for an insect high protein snack, sometimes just snatching them out of the air as they fly, for an extra energy boost to keep their high metabolism going.

The one particular hummingbird I had in mind just jumps out and begs for notice - the Marvelous Spatuletail - found only in Peru, and could be considered the Liberace of hummingbirds!  And yes, those oval-shaped 'spatulas' are part of his tail.

Source:  Birding Blog

If you click on the Birding Blog link under the picture, there is a video of the Spatuletail mating display.  You really have to see it.

But since my cousin has thrown down the gauntlet, this post will now be about the incredible variety of hummingbirds.

If the Spatuletail is the Liberace of hummingbirds, the Red-tailed Comet is the Elton John of hummingbirds!

Source:  Seriema Nature Tours

And there are other long-tailed hummingbirds, such as the Green-tailed Trainbearer...

Photo by Peter de Haas   Source: Birding Peru

and the Green and Black Streamertail...

Source:  Animal Pictures Archive

and one of the larger hummingbirds, the Swallowtail.

Photo by Dario Sanchez  Source:  About.com

Hummingbirds range in size from the smallest, the bee hummingbird, which is about 2 inches and only found in Cuba..

Source:  Birdfinders

to the Giant Hummingbird measuring around 8 inches, almost as big as a robin.

Source:  Inca Trail Info

And there are the hummingbirds with various types of bills, short, curved or extremely long, evolved and perfectly designed to extract nectar from specific flowers, like the Bronzy Hermit Hummingbird...

Source:  Birdwatching Daily

and the Purple-throated Carib...

Photo by Ethan Temeles  Source:  Smithsonian

or the Sword-billed hummingbird...

Photo by Michael Woodruff  Source:  Wikipedia

or the white-tipped sicklebill...

Photo by Jose Loiza  Source:  Wikipedia

or the Rainbow-bearded Thornbill.

Photo by Scott Olmstead  Source:  IBC

And, as you can see, there are hummingbirds of every color combination, some more flamboyant, others a bit more discreet.  Like the Gould's Jewelfront...

Source:  Amazonia Lodge

or the Lucifer Hummingbird...

Source:  Discover Life

or the Chestnut-breasted Coronet.

Source:  Amazonia Lodge

And a few with hardly any color at all, like the Gray-breasted Sabrewing.

Source:  Amazonia Lodge

There are even crested hummingbirds, like the Rufous-Crested Coquette.

Source:  Amazonia Lodge

How cute is he?  Don't you just love some of their names?  So, cousin, do you still think a hummingbird is a hummingbird?  Only a little over 300 more to go.