A Colorful Male Anna’s Hummingbird Photo Shoot

I met this vibrantly colored male Anna’s hummingbird on the Willamette Greenway Trail in Portland Oregon. I was able to get about 3 feet away from this bird to be able to get some good close up shots. I used my new Fuju xh2 camera with a fuji 400/100 zoom lens.

Female Anna’s hummingbirds are less colorful and mimic the colors of their surroundings. This camouflage to protect themselves from predators, particularly while attending to their nests. In contrast, male Anna’s hummingbirds are strikingly colorful and spend their time showcasing their vibrant plumage and impressive aerial skills, demonstrating their status as the fastest birds on the planet. Unlike their female counterparts, males do not participate in nest-building; instead, they focus on mating and expanding their population. Additionally, males are highly territorial, often chasing away other males that encroach on their space. Unfortunately, there are some human males that have similar behavior and for both hummingbirds and human males it can be attributed to a magical hormone called testosterone.