male Costa's Hummingbird rapidly beating wings while sitting on a branch

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After landing on a branch, Hummingbirds often briefly beat their wings rapidly for a second before relaxing. The colour in the irridescent feathers around its head and throat is due to diffraction of the light, not pigments, and are only fully visible when the light strikes them at the correct angle.

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Size: 5500px × 3667px
Location: San Dieguito River Park, San Diego, California, USA
Photo credit: © Ray Wilson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: america, animal, aves, avian, beating, bird, blur, buzzing, calypte, costa, costae, fast, flapping, hummingbird, male, motion, movement, nature, states, stretch, stretching, trochilidae, united, usa, wildlife, wing, wings