A male Anna's Hummingbird is a striking sight, known for its vibrant gorget and forehead colors. This species can be found year-round in the Western United States. It is particularly famous for its impressive mating dives, which can exceed 100 feet (35 meters). Originally, Anna's Hummingbird occurred only in Northern Baja California, but it has since dramatically expanded its range. Today, it can be found along the West Coast up to Southern British Columbia and has also spread southeast into Arizona and, to a lesser extent, Texas. This significant range expansion over roughly a century is attributed to human population growth, which has brought cultivars and hummingbird feeders that support their existence. This species also has an ability to greatly slow its metabolism during cold periods to help it survive in the winter. Unlike other U.S. hummingbird species, Anna’s Hummingbird does not migrate latitudinally.
Grass-green Tanager (Chlorornis riefferii)
A striking green tanager that is found in the Andes from Colombia to Bolivia. It is the only extant member of the genus Chlorornis.
Spotted Tanager (Ixothraupis punctata)
A pretty tanager found in the Andes of Peru. It’s closely related to the Speckled Tanager also in this blog.
Golden-naped Tanager (Chalcothraupis ruficervi)
A common Tanager on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Peru.
Plumbeous Rail (Pardirallus sanguinolentus)
A rail that is common in much of the southern half of South America. This one was seen at Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de Villa, in southern Lima, Peru.
Peruvian Thick-knee (Hesperoburhinus superciliaris)
We were on a tour of an ancient archeological site near Lima, Peru. It is a drab, sandy area. Several of us saw a bone on the ground (shown). I did not think much of it until one of our party asked what was on the ground next to bone. It took me several seconds to see what she was referring to. This fairly large bird is a master at camouflage. They rest motionless during the day and forage at nighttime.
These photos were taken with a telephoto lens with a limited depth of field to bring out the bird. To the unaided eye, they are difficult to see. The Peruvian Thick-knee.