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Anna's Hummingbird


Anna's Hummingbird
Photo Information
Copyright: Binh Nguyen (Howler-Cat) Silver Note Writer [C: 4 W: 0 N: 48] (224)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-18
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 30 D, Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L with 2X converter
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/800 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes (Fill) Flash: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): colourful [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-04-19 7:05
Viewed: 530
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) is a medium-sized hummingbird.

These hummingbirds are glossy green on the back and grey below with green flanks. Their bill is long, straight and slender. The adult male has a glossy red crown and throat and a dark tail. Anna's is the only hummingbird species with a red crown. Females and juveniles have a green crown, a grey throat with some red marking, and a dark tail with white tips.

Their breeding habitat is open wooded or shrubby areas and mountain meadows along the Pacific coast from British Columbia to Arizona. The female builds a large cup nest in a shrub or tree, sometimes in vines or on wires. The nest is round and about 1 1/2 to 2" in diameter. The nest is built of very small twigs, lichen and other mosses, and often lined with downy feathers or animal hair. The nest materials are bound together with spider silk or other sticky materials. They are known to nest early as mid-December and as late as June.

Unlike most hummingbirds, this bird sings during courtship. During the breeding season, males can be observed performing a remarkable display, called a display dive, on their territories. When another bird (such as a female Anna's Hummingbird) flies onto a male's territory, he rises up approximately 30m (100 ft) before diving over the recipient. At the bottom of the dive the males reach speeds exceeding 23 m/s (50 mph), and produce a loud sound, described by some as an "explosive squeak" with their outer tail-feathers.[1]

These birds are permanent residents in parts of their range. Some birds may wander north to southern Alaska, south to Mexico or move east from California after nesting season. Some individuals have been banded as far east as Alabama and Florida. They are very territorial.

These birds feed on nectar from flowers using a long extendable tongue and catch insects in flight. While collecting nectar, they also assist in plant pollination. They sometimes eat tree sap.

This bird was named after Anna Massena, Duchess of Rivoli. A hybrid between this species and Allen's Hummingbird has been described as Floresi's Hummingbird, "Selasphorus" floresii (Ridgway, 1909; Taylor, 1909); the hybrid with the Black-chinned Hummingbird was called "Trochilus" violajugulum.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Binh,
The photo of the male was beautiful, but this one is also very good. Great sharpness and details in an excellent composition. Beautiful colours. Good use of flash and POV.
Regards,
Peter

Hi Binh,

Fantastic capture.Wonderful colours with excellent detail.Lighting and composition are very good.

Hi Binh,

Another wonderful hummingbird you've captured here greatly.
The bird does stand out perfectly against the darker background.
Love the movement in the wings which gives the scene a wonderful sence of action.
Very beautiful colors, contrast and feather details.
Very well done and very good note also. TFS!!!

Have a nice Sunday, Harry

  • Great 
  • Max31 Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 15 W: 0 N: 39] (182)
  • [2008-04-20 7:07]

Hello Binch,
L'oiseau est pris au moment parfait, la netteté est satisfaisante et les couleurs très intéressantes .
Le timing pour prendre cette photo est parfait.
TFS.

Max

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3073 W: 232 N: 5866] (19730)
  • [2008-04-21 20:11]

First, a warm welcome to TN, Binh.
A gorgeous shot of this hummer.
Super sharp details on both the bird and the flowers.
Beautiful light and colors, well shown against the dark BG.
You did a great job of capturing the iridescence on the green feathers.
A fantastic hovering pose with a tell-tale blur on the wings.Great catch light in the eye.
TFS. : )

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