Violet Sabrewing Hummingbird (Campylopterushemileucurus)

Hummingbirds are birds in the family Trochilidae, and are endemic to the Americas. They can hover in mid-air by

rapidly flapping their wings 15–80 times per second (depending on the species) They can fly backwards, and are the only group of birds able to do so. Their English name derives from the characteristic hum made by their wings. (Source: Wikipedia ) I think pretty amazing birds. They are very distantly related to the Sunbird. 

Knowing how hard it is to take photos of these I was even more impressed by the photo Seb & Jen took of this little guy (thanx again for your permission). I asked him for some more details about the pic, and here is what he wrote: '' I captured this beautiful hummingbird in "La Paz Waterfall Gardens", Varablanca, Costa Rica last January (2008). Hummingbirds are difficult to capture when they are flying...  This one helped me a lot by having his break on a branch. (Picture taken with a 40D Canon, 1/320s, f/6.3) ''

Here are some interesting facts about Hummingbirds on the ''La Paz Waterfall Gardens '' homepage.

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