Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

I have been an avid birdwatcher since I was 15 years old and I must say that seeing the hummingbirds in their natural habitat in the Mindo Cloud Forest a short drive outside Quito, Ecuador was the highlight of my birding career.  They are small and delicate and if I did not know better I would have thought that they were large Bumble bees buzzing around the edges of the forest.  But on closer inspection it was these incredibly beautiful multi-coloured birds flapping their wings so fast that I thought they might drop off.  Ecuador has 180 species of hummingbird of which I managed to see at least 10 that day.

By far the most common in that area was the Rufous-tailed hummingbird.  Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards and for a photographer like me a huge challenge to take photos of as they do not sit still for a minute and flit about so quickly that before you think of pressing the shutter they are gone.  I am not shy to admit that when I left the forest I was clearly shaken in my ability to take photos.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Facts

The Rufous-tailed hummingbird is a dominant species and defends its flowers and territory aggressively from other hummingbirds.  Like most hummingbirds, it eats nectar from flowers and an insect now and then for additional nutrition.  The female bird is solely responsible for building the nest and lays 2 white eggs in a cups nest decorated with lichen.

I could have spent many more hours observing the hummingbirds, but, unfortunately, the Galapagos Islands were calling.

For more information on the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird