Describing hummingbirds without resorting to superlatives would be difficult, and hardly fair. This family includes the world’s smallest birds, with the most brilliant iridescent colors, the fastest wingbeats, and the most amazing ability to fly up, down, sideways, and backwards. They spend their days hovering at flowers to sip nectar, feeding almost constantly to supply the sugar necessary to maintain their racing metabolism. Many people would call these the world’s most fascinating birds.
There are well over three hundred species of hummingbirds, all native to the Americas. The vast majority, not surprisingly, are found in the tropics, where flowers abound year-round. Only a handful of species reach the United States; southern Arizona hosts more than a dozen of those.
Captured this in Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ on a walk ... not an easy thing to do when you're in tow with a rambunctious pug named Sadie!
