Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Male
All photos are of the same bird, only difference is the angle at which the photos were taken. The last two photos on the right are two from a sequence of shots I took. As the bird approached the flower of Beebalm plant its angle with respect to the sun changed slightly and that was enough to change the color of its throat (gorget) from dark to slightly red. The last to the left was when the bird briefly faced me, showing its ruby red throat.
The physics behind this change of color is very comprehensive. In simplest terms, Hummingbird feathers have stacks of hollow melanin granules (air bubbles) that reflect and refract light differently depending on the angle they enter and it changes between ruby red to almost black as seen in these photos. The color reflected is determined by the size and shape of the granules, for this hummingbird it just happens to be red. Riverwood Conservancy, Mississauga, Ontario.
These days I often disable the comment when there's not much of a story about a photo. People's time is precious as is, so coming to see the photo is more than enough.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Male
All photos are of the same bird, only difference is the angle at which the photos were taken. The last two photos on the right are two from a sequence of shots I took. As the bird approached the flower of Beebalm plant its angle with respect to the sun changed slightly and that was enough to change the color of its throat (gorget) from dark to slightly red. The last to the left was when the bird briefly faced me, showing its ruby red throat.
The physics behind this change of color is very comprehensive. In simplest terms, Hummingbird feathers have stacks of hollow melanin granules (air bubbles) that reflect and refract light differently depending on the angle they enter and it changes between ruby red to almost black as seen in these photos. The color reflected is determined by the size and shape of the granules, for this hummingbird it just happens to be red. Riverwood Conservancy, Mississauga, Ontario.
These days I often disable the comment when there's not much of a story about a photo. People's time is precious as is, so coming to see the photo is more than enough.