23/08/2026
The aerobatics of a Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird, one of the rare & most glamorous hummingbird I have seen. Endemic to a tiny cloud forest in northern Peru only and nowhere else. It was totally worth every flight & mile travelled just for this one.
The males have those long spatula/racket-like tail feathers and use it for courtship display. Interesting fact is those tails don’t just look marvelous but each one of the discs can move completely independently like magic wands.
Swipe through to see how every angle reveals a different flash of its brilliant colors—from the crest, throat to the tail.
birdsofperu
Nikon Middle East & Africa National Geographic Your Shot Nate Canfijn BBC Earth
