Photo: Hummingbird Wildlife Picture

This Hummingbird is holding a piece of fluff in its beak while it hovers in mid air as if on strings. The tiny Rufous Hummingbird, or Selasphorous rufus is such a small wildlife creature it can be hard to capture an image, but this picture does perfectly.

This tiny Hummingbird is the Rufous Hummingbird, also known by the proper name of Selasphorus rufus, and this tiny species of wildlife is only about 8cm long, although it looks much bigger close up in the picture.

What distinguishes this species of Hummingbird as the Rufous Hummingbird is mostly the orange feathers that grow at the centre of their throat, but because they are so small and so fast, it is often hard to tell species of Hummingbirds apart. This bird breeds in North America, from Alaska to California, and prefers to build its nest in a protected area such as a wood or in the bushes.

They are a very pretty species of wildlife and one of the most fascinating traits about the hummingbird is the fact that they have long beaks so as to reach deep in to flowers and suck out the nectar. They can also catch insects with their extendable tongue. ... continue below the picture...

This picture is part of the photo album "Bird Pictures" - there are more beautiful images waiting for you.

... They have to eat often during the day because they expend so much energy keeping their wings beating so quickly. Unfortunately due to their small size they are often at risk of being food for other birds and animals; thankfully their speed often aids in their getaway.

Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorous rufus