Happy National Hummingbird Day! It falls on the first Saturday of September every year, and this year I have the perfect little bird to celebrate it with.
For a few mornings in a row, a Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) had been visiting the feeder on our deck here in Round Rock. I would sit there with the camera, and it would come and go before I could do much about it. Then, one morning, it took a break on the high wire above the feeder, and I finally got my images. This one, judging by the whitish throat and the white tips on the outer tail feathers, is a female or a young bird. The adult males wear a black chin with a thin band of purple below it that only shows when the light hits it just right.
While it sat there, I noticed something odd. A few feathers on the upper part of its left wing looked ruffled, and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. It wasn’t until I downloaded the images to the computer that I understood what I had been watching. If you look carefully, the hummingbird is standing on one leg. The other leg is raised over the wing, and the tiny foot is scratching its neck, much like a dog scratching behind its ear. I had been witnessing a hummingbird preening, a first for me, and the “ruffled feathers” were just the wing being nudged out of the way.
That scratch is not idle fidgeting. A bird’s bill can reach almost every feather on its body except those on its own head and neck, so the foot takes over as a comb for that area. Scratching helps spread the oil from the preen gland near the tail onto feathers the bill cannot reach, works loose old feathers and the sheaths of new ones during molt, and helps keep feather lice and mites in check. Ornithologists even sort birds by how they do it: some “direct” scratchers lift the leg straight up in front of the wing, while “over-the-wing” scratchers, like this hummingbird, drape the wing down and reach the leg over it. Late summer is a busy time for feather care, too. A Black-chinned Hummingbird weighs only 0.1–0.2 ounces (2.3–4.9 grams), and many of them will soon be heading south toward wintering grounds along the Gulf Coast and beyond, so every feather needs to be in flying order.
One advantage of meditating on the deck is that I am always surrounded by wildlife. When I finish, I start having fun with the camera, and the birds have usually forgotten I am there. Moments like this one, a bird small enough to sit in a teaspoon, quietly taking care of itself on a wire, are priceless to me. I would have missed it entirely if I hadn’t looked at the photos a second time.
That is the story behind the shots. For more like this, enjoy these related stories: Bird of the Week, Black-Chinned Hummingbird, Round Rock, Teravista, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next shoot, keep chasing the light and the wonders it reveals.
- Posted for I.J. Khanewala’s Birds of the Week Invitation CLXXXIV.
Sources:
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds — Black-chinned Hummingbird Identification — https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-chinned_Hummingbird/id
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds — Black-chinned Hummingbird Overview — https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-chinned_Hummingbird/overview
- Stanford Birds (Ehrlich, Dobkin & Wheye), Essays — Head Scratching — https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Head_Scratching.html
- Journey North — Hummingbird: Preening and Sunning — https://journeynorth.org/humm/fall2014/c091914_preen.html
- Hummingbird101 — Why do hummingbirds scratch themselves? — https://www.hummingbird101.com/why-do-hummingbirds-scratch-themselves/
- National Day Calendar — National Hummingbird Day, first Saturday in September — https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/national-hummingbird-day-first-saturday-in-september
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Mike Kociumbas
Beautiful photo and a great moment captured! We don’t have hummingbirds in Poland, but we do have a species of moth that looks just like one, so maybe one day I’ll get a chance to photograph it.
Egidio Leitao
Hummingbirds are only found in the Americas. As for the hummingbird moth, they are beautiful, too. I’ve photographed them a few times around this area. Thanks for writing, Mike.
Mike Kociumbas
Yes, that’s right. Hummingbirds can’t be found in Europe. But maybe I’ll have a chance with the hummingbird moth one day. Thanks for the inspiration, and have a nice day 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Those are really fun to photograph. They fly like hummingbirds. I’ve seen them a handful of times.
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography
So a great shot, and to top with Leonard Cohen. I¨ve seen him perform twice, just loved his charisma and presence. Obviously his music.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks so much, Ritva.
Steve Schwartzman
Your pictures remind me of Leonard Cohen’s song “Bird on the Wire.”
Egidio Leitao
What a great song that is!
Rebecca Cuningham
Great shot of a beautiful bird.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Rebecca.
Wandering Dawgs
Egidio, how did I miss National Hummingbird Day? This one is a beauty and your images are stunning. How exciting to capture him preening with is foot.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Beth. I’m glad I had a good photo to celebrate the day.
Sam.Rappen
I was quite concerned the first time I saw a hummer drop his wing and reach his foot over it up to his face! Great catch!
Egidio Leitao
Sam, I can see what you mean. I did not know what I was seeing when I photographed this scene, but I had to capture it. Thanks for your note.
shoestringdiary
Excellent details on the hummingbird. Perfect bokeh, too.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Leo. I was at 600mm, which helped with the bokeh.
Pamela Zmija Photography
Amazing photos Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for this wonderful feedback. I appreciate that.
Donna Robinson Photography
What wonderful captures, Egidio.
Egidio Leitao
I’m happy you liked them, Donna. Thank you.
Tranature - quiet moments in nature
Beautiful images Egídio and happy National Hummingbird Day to you too! 😊
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Xenia. Hope you had a great weekend.
PR
Wow 🤩! I don’t remember ever having seen the picture of a still hummingbird 😄.
Egidio Leitao
I have quite a few of them sitting still. It’s sometimes hard to spot them because they are so tiny. Thanks.
Anita
That’s an amazing little acrobat! Wonderful photos, Egídio. I love that you discovered what it was doing only when you looked at the images afterwards. What a lovely moment to capture!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for writing, Anita. I was curious when I saw motion and the feathers not in place. From a distance, I could not see what it might be, but I decided to keep shooting.
margaret21
What a delightful – and informative – post. Sadly, this is a day we can never, ever celebrate in the UK. Our loss.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for writing, Margaret. I’m curious about your “never, ever.” Does it mean you do not have hummingbirds in the UK?
margaret21
Nope. Not a chance. Sad, isn’t it? We never have had.
Egidio Leitao
I didn’t know that. It is sad indeed.
margaret21
They belong to hotter climates than ours I guess.
margaret21
We can ‘do’ hummingbird hawkmoths if that helps!
Egidio Leitao
Oh, those are so pretty. I’ve photographed one once. I see them every now and then. I searched online and found out that hummingbirds are exclusive to the Americas. Geographical barriers prevent them from flying across the “pond.”
margaret21
It WOULD be a bit far!
Tra Italia e Finlandia
Un uccellino dal fascino indiscusso. Grazie per le informazioni.
Egidio Leitao
Grazie mille per aver scritto.
I. J. Khanewala
You’ve caught the preening rather well. Mostly you see them using their beak. But, as you found, a hummingbird’s long beak makes it anatomically impossible for it to preen part of its wings. This is a nice observation of one using its feet.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the compliment and comment.
pamperrault21
Lovely! How often do they sit still like that? Perfect timing! Do you know, I’ve not got a single, tack-sharp picture of a Hummingbird despite my best efforts. This is a great post and thank you for the information. pp
Egidio Leitao
I’m happy you liked it. I’ve seen them resting away from the feeder only a handful of times. Normally, they don’t stay put very long. This sequence with the leg up only lasted about 5 seconds. Thanks for photographing in burst mode, I was able to capture the leg up. In previous sections, I had a sequence of them on a tree still for nearly 20 seconds. It’s hard to photograph them by the feeder. I’d suggest a shutter speed of 1/4000 seconds to get them really sharp. Sitting still like in these photos was done at 1/2500 seconds. Thanks for writing.
pamperrault21
Thank you so much for the tip. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve often (ever?) bumped up to 1/4000 but next time!
Anne Sandler
Awesome capture Egidio. And thanks for the great information.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Anne. At the time I captured, I was not sure what it was.
rootedhabitat
Fascinating about hummingbird feather care. And with your astute observation, you witnessed it. Thank you for sharing with the rest of us.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you for the feedback. Much gratitude!