Empress Brilliant, Ecuador

The male Empress Brilliant is one of the most beautiful hummingbirds in South American; for sixteen years, it has resisted all my attempts to photograph it -- until now. Shooting handheld with the Canon R5 and 100-500mm zoom, I was able to quickly grab some shots (with fill flash) during it's very brief visit.

With long tail feathers, it is often mistaken for the more common Violet-tailed Sylph. The pink-purple gorget is seen in all male Brilliants, but it's probably best in the Empress Brilliant.