Collared Inca, Ecuador

Collared Inca

This photo appears in these galleries:

Collared Inca
San Isidro, Ecuador   –   August 21, 2006
— Ralph Paonessa
Canon EOS-1D Mark II   *   EF500mm f/4L IS USM + 2X   *   ISO 800   *   1/250 sec @ f/8

It's hard to see the purple iridescence that tops off the head of the Collared Inca. But they perch quietly for a long time, and this male finally posed at the right angle in natural light. Of hummingbirds' four toes, the rear one (hallux) seen here functions like a human thumb, assisting with grasping and perching.

Photo ID: 20060821-2634