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