The adult male’s are stunning! The color in the neck changes with how the light is absorbed and transmitted. Sometimes it appears almost black and other times it can look deep orange to red. The color is caused by melanin granules flattened and hollow within the feathers. The color depends on how the light strikes the layers of gorget(neck) feathers.
Some other interesting facts:
Hummingbird heart rates can be as high as 1200 beats per minute.
Wings beat from 70 to 200 times per Second.
They breath about 150 times per minute.
Rubythroats weigh about as much as a penny.
They can migrate as much as 4,000 miles to get to their destination.
Their average lifespan is about 5 years in the wild but 10 years has been
measured.
They eat about twice their bodyweight a day in nectar and insects.
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STUNNING! Larry this image is over the top… completely over the top!
I am also in awe of these beautiful little creatures. I know how hard an image like this is to get.
Many congratulations on this image and getting the blue ribbon.
A Male Rubythroat Hummingbird
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