Mountain velvetbreast - closeup, Jardin, Colombia

The black chest indicates that this is the male.

comments (10)

Christine Young

Lion

Cool curved bill! Posted 5 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Each hummingbird a specialist :) You can even see the bottom of the bill lit up in green, that's how bright their feathers reflect. Anyway, this bill is a mere toy if you check my latest shot ;) Posted 5 years ago
2. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    They are all incredibly unique! I hadn't noticed the green! So cool. Did you know that the chirps that hummingbirds make are actually made by their tail feathers? The rush of air and flickering of their tails while flying makes the squeaking sound. Posted 5 years ago
  2. 1. Christine Young
      
      Lion
      
      The males do this to attract the females for mating...Not sure if works this way for all species though. Posted 5 years ago
    2. Ferdy Christant
      
      Lion
      
      I absolutely did not know this, thanks for sharing! Posted 5 years ago
  3. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    Check out the color changes on this one. So cool:
    Posted 5 years ago
  4. 1. Ferdy Christant
      
      Lion
      
      Oh wow! It does this by changing the angle of feathers? Posted 5 years ago
    2. 1. Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        Yes! Angle, light, iridescence, and apparently air bubbles.
        
        This is amazing...
        
        "...surface of the feather, some light is reflected from the outer surface, and some light travels through the air bubble and reflects off the inner surface. Light with wavelengths that match the thickness of the air bubble are “amplified” as the reflected waves from the inner surface match up and combine with the reflected waves from the outer surface. Other wavelengths are “out of sync” when they combine after reflecting off both surfaces, and they cancel out. This is the fundamental process that creates the very pure and brilliant colors we see on hummingbirds."
        
        Read more here: http://www.sibleyguides.com/2011/09/the-basics-of-iridescence-in-hummingbirds/ Posted 5 years ago
      2. Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        Mind blowing, thanks for the article! Posted 5 years ago
        
        Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        You're welcome! I thought it was so fascinating and much more complicated than I had realized previously. Posted 5 years ago

The Mountain velvetbreast

The mountain velvetbreast is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is the only member of its genus. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest and heavily degraded former forest.

Info 6 0

Similar species: Swifts And Hummingbirds

Species identified by Ferdy Christant