Rainbow Flyers: Brilliant Hummingbird Colors
Updated: Apr. 23, 2024
Hummingbirds come in every color of the rainbow! These reader-submitted images perfectly show vibrant hummingbird colors.
The Spectrum of Hummingbird Colors
Hummingbirds are easy to love. With their spunky personalities, their unique and speedy flight, their too-cute cup nests and their gorgeous feathers, everything about them is delightful. That last point — hummingbird colors — is one of the best things about them. There’s a hummingbird for nearly every color of the rainbow. Here, we illustrate the many colors of hummingbirds with Birds & Blooms reader-submitted images.
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Regal, Red Ruby-Throat
“I took this photo of a male ruby-throated hummingbird in my backyard with my Canon EOS 1300 D camera. This particular male was not at all afraid of my presence but whenever I would click the shutter it would hop off the feeder and look for the source of the sound. I especially like the way his head is tilted up to show the brilliant red on its throat,” says Birds & Blooms reader Mindy Drexler.
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A Striking Pink Anna’s Hummingbird
“I just marvel at the beauty of this Anna’s hummingbird that I spotted in Tucson, Arizona. The hummingbird colors are striking and the pose is magnificent!” Joan Purcell says.
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Small But Mighty Rufous Hummingbird
“What makes the rufous hummingbird so special to me is that although he’s small, he’s mighty. He guards his feeding area with a passion. This little rufous took up residence on our patio and hung around and entertained us for several weeks. We loved watching his aerial acrobatics while he defended his turf!” reader Delia Alcorn says.
A Sparkling Backyard Ruby
“This was my very first hummingbird photo. This male ruby-throat was sitting on my trellis for my roses in summer,” Ronda Legg says.
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Bold Blue-Throated Mountain Gem
“I took a trip to Arizona in May 2016. This blue-throated mountain gem was hanging around and I managed to catch quite a few photos of him. The photo was taken at Ramsey Canyon in Hereford, Arizona. I used a Nikon D810 with a Tamron 150-600mm lens. This is a beautiful species and I love the blue tail feathers and throat,” says reader Ronald Johnson.
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Purple Costa’s Hummingbird in the Snow
“I was given a hummingbird feeder for Christmas a couple of years ago, and it truly is the gift that keeps on giving. We now have hummingbirds in our backyard all year long. This photo is of a Costa’s hummingbird staying warm right after a rare and fresh snow in our backyard in Las Vegas,” Jodi Zimmerman says.
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A Challenging Black-Chinned Hummingbird
“This is a photo of a black-chinned hummingbird, taken in Swan Valley, Idaho. I fell in love with this bird the first time I saw him. It was a challenge to get a photograph of him. He did not like to hold still, and that made him even more fascinating to me. Many photos later, I finally got the purple to show up,” reader Sandra Colton says.
A Rare White Hummingbird
“A leucistic Anna’s hummingbird visited the Australian Garden at the UCSC Arboretum, a public garden about 60 miles from my home. I love hummingbirds, so I had to drive there to see this rare bird for myself. I’d heard that seeing it was hit or miss, but I got extremely lucky. The bird streaked across the sky like a white bullet, then hovered over the blossoms in front of me. Wow! As my heart raced, I took as many photos as I could until it sped off as fast as it had flown in!” says Sally Rae Kimmel.
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Rainbow Hummingbird
“I call this photo rainbow bird and I just love his red beak in contrast with his blue green body. I took this photo of a broad-billed hummingbird at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum,” says Justin Lingana.
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Luminous Lucifer Hummingbird Colors
“I was in the Davis Mountain area photographing hummingbirds, hoping to get a good picture of a Rivoli’s. Even though I did not get an opportunity to get a good photo of one, I was fortunate in finding some lucifer hummingbirds and got this shot, which was my favorite. This photograph more than made up for my lack of success with the Rivoli’s,” says reader Johnny Bliznak.
Broad-Tailed Hummingbird Colors
“It is always a highlight of my year to visit a friend’s cabin in Southern Colorado and photograph the many birds that visit the feeders. This year there was very little bird activity, so I concentrated my efforts on a trio of broad-tailed hummingbirds. After a couple of hours of photographing this particular bird under a cloudy sky, the sun broke through and provided the opportunity to capture this shot with the rose-colored gorget in bold display,” says reader Ron Newhouse.
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Ruby-Throat and Delicate Daylily
“This gorgeous adult male ruby-throated hummingbird seems to be claiming this daylily as his own. I was lucky enough to catch his wings extended, revealing their beautiful and delicate detail,” says Carol Holliday.
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Bright Orange Rufous Hummingbird
“This little rufous hummingbird was quite a character and a big bully! He sat on that branch surveying the feeders and chased away all other hummers. He gave me a lot of enjoyment, and this is my favorite photo of my backyard hummingbirds,” says reader Karren Dixon.
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Amazing Anna’s Encounter
“I spotted this magnificent fellow on a camellia tree outside my front window. After grabbing my camera, I went out on the deck and took several beautiful shots, including this one,” says Mike Anderson.
Cute and Colorful Calliope
Birds & Blooms reader Hayley Crews submitted this photo that shows the gorgeous gorget on a tiny Calliope hummingbird.
Nature’s Work of Art
“This is a buff-bellied hummingbird. I used a Nikon D500 and a Nikkor 200-500mm lens. The moment when I first noticed the species, almost a decade ago now, was what got me into hummingbirds and birding. Now I travel all over the world just to get a glimpse of different species. The tail fan is what I wait for, with all those pretty rufous/orange colors,” says reader Emily Zamora.
Allen’s Hummingbird Puts on a Show
“This magnificent Allen’s hummingbird had alighted near our yard feeder in northern California. I used a Nikon D700 with a 200 telephoto to capture this shot,” says reader Leslie Scopes Anderson.
Originally Published: April 23, 2024
