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A Trick of the Light . . .

Mike Hamilton

November 11, 2019

Anna's Hummingbirds sparkle with iridescence... with their emerald green back and hot pink throats — known as gorgets. But wait! Catch them in a certain light, and the sparkle goes away, or entirely new and vibrant colors appear. The microscopic structure of the feather barbules — not pigments — provides this amazing abundance of colors. Light is refracted by these complex structures and becomes visible as a shimmering array of colors changing with the angle of view.

Image:

 

Mike Hamilton photographed several male Anna's over more than a year. He caught them in all kinds of poses and all kinds of lights. Check out the series — Doesn't even look like the same species, does it?

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All photos © Mike Hamilton
Mike takes pictures every day of the year in the Pacific Northwest.

Tagsplumage

Related Resources

How Birds Make Colorful Feathers - All About BirdsWhat Makes Bird Feathers So Colorfully Fabulous? - AudubonThe Color of Birds - Stanford UniversityThe Basics of Iridescence in Hummingbirds - Sibley Guides

More About These Birds

Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)

Calypte anna

Birds connect us with the joy and wonder of nature. By telling vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the challenges they face, BirdNote inspires listeners to care about the natural world – and take steps to protect it.

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