Morley Read / Slow motion shot of a Rufous tailed hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) drinking nectar from a Heliconia flower, Mindo, Ecuador.

Morley Read / Slow motion shot of a Violet tailed sylph hummingbird (Aglaiocercus coelestis) drinking nectar from a Heliconia flower, Mindo, Ecuador.

Lucas Bustamante / Golden-Tailed Sapphire (Chrysuronia oenone) Sumaco National Park, Napo, Ecuador

Lucas Bustamante / Green-crowned woodnymph (Thalaurania fannyi) Mashpi, Pichincha, Ecuador

Lucas Bustamante / Sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) Yanacocha, Pichincha, Ecuador

John Shaw / Violet-tailed sylph hummingbird (Aglaiocercus coelestis) in flight, about to land. Ecuador, May.

John Chan / Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) chick, sleeping in nest, Southern California, USA, March.

Marie Read / Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilocus colubris), male flying in to feed from cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) New York, USA. August.

John Chan / Female Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) incubating eggs, departs from nest momentarily to feed, Southern California, USA, March.

John Chan / Female Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) incubating eggs, departs from nest momentarily to feed, Southern California, USA, March.

John Chan / Male Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) cleaning its beak on a twig, Southern California, USA, January.

Konrad Wothe / Sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) in flight, North-Ecuador, Ecuador.

Melvin Grey / Purple-throated mountain gem (Lampornis calolaemus) adult female - about to feed from flower, Atlantic Rainforest, Costa Rica.

Paul Hobson / Rivoli's hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) nectaring on Fuchsia (Fuchsia sp) flower. Costa Rica.

Paul Hobson / Green-crowned brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula), three feeding on Lobster-claw (Heliconia sp) flower in rain. Costa Rica.

Paul Hobson / Violet sabrewing hummingbird (Campylopterus hemileucurus) nectaring on Orchid. Costa Rica.

Andy Rouse / Rufus-breasted hermit hummingbird (Glaucis hirsutus) and Copper-rumped hummingbird and(Amazilia tobaci) hovering, Tobago

Andy Rouse / White-necked Jacobin hummingbirds (Florisuga mellivora) fighting, Tobago Small repro only

Andy Rouse / RF- White-necked Jacobin hummingbird (Florisuga mellivora) hovering with tail erect to show aggression , Tobago (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)

Pedro Narra / Cuban emerald hummingbird (Chlorostilbon ricordii) Guanahacabibes Peninsula National Park, Cuba

Pedro Narra / Bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) hovering in front of flower, Guanahacabibes Peninsula National Park, Cuba

Pedro Narra / Bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) feeding from flower, Guanahacabibes Peninsula National Park, Cuba

Konrad Wothe / Sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) hovering in flight, North-Ecuador.

Phil Savoie / Green-crowned brillian hummingbird (Heliodoxa jacula) visiting Torch ginger flower (Etlingera elatior), Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica

Bence Mate / White-throated Mountain Gem (Lampornis castaneoventris), Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula) group of three with one in flight, Savegre, Costa Rica

Melvin Grey / Violet-tailed sylph hummingbird (Aglaiocercus coelestis) hummingbird adult male, approaching flower to feed, Tandayapa, Ecuador

Melvin Grey / Violet sabrewing hummingbird (Campylopterus hemileucurus) hummingbird male flying, feeding from flower, Juan Castro National Park Costa Rica.

Melvin Grey / Tufted coquette hummingbird (Lophornis ornatus) hummingbird adult male perched, Asa Wright Centre, Trinidad

Melvin Grey / Purple-throated woodstar hummingbird (Calliphlox mitchellii) hummingbird male flying to garden flower, Mindo Loma, Ecuador

Cyril Ruoso / Giant humming bird (Patagona gigas) feeding from Queen of the Andes (Puya raymondii) flowers, Cordillera Blanca Massif, Andes, Peru, November.

Konrad Wothe / Long-tailed hermit (Phaethornis superciliosus) nectaring from a flower, Panguana Reserve, Huanuca Region, Peru.

Konrad Wothe / Long-tailed hermit (Phaethornis superciliosus) nectaring from a flower, Panguana Reserve, Huanuca Region, Peru.

Bence Mate / Violet sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) in flight at feeding station, Monte Verde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica.

Visuals Unlimited / Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris) hovering portrait, Utuana Reserve, Ecuador.

Visuals Unlimited / Booted Racket tail Hummingbird (Ocreatus underwoodii) male flying, Tandayapa Valley, Ecuador.

Visuals Unlimited / Crowned WoodNymph (Thalurania colombica) hovering near flower, Costa Rica

Tui De Roy / White bellied woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant) three hovering around red flowers, Guango private reserve, Papallacta Valley, Andean Cloud Forest, East slope, Ecuador

Tui De Roy / Violet tailed sylph (Aglaiocercus coelestis) Guango private reserve, Papallacta Valley, Andean Cloud Forest, East slope, Ecuador

Tui De Roy / Sparkling violetear hummingbird (Colibri coruscans) incubating eggs at nest, Andean cloud forest, Ecuador

Tui De Roy / Golden breasted puffleg (Eriocnemis mosquera) hummingbird Yanacocha Reserve, Jocotoco Foundation, 3,200m altitude on west slope of Pichincha Volcano, Andean cloud forest, West slope, Tropical Andes, E...

Roland Seitre / Green Thorntail Hummingbird (Discosura conversii) in flight. Rancho Naturalista, Turrialba, Panama.

Roland Seitre / Girl watching Violet Sabrewing Hummingbird (Campylopterus hemileucurus) feeding on flower. Captive. La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Poas, Costa Rica. Model released

Pete Oxford / Sparkling violetear hummingbird (Colibri coruscans) at base of Chimborazo Volcano (Highest mountain in Ecuador), Andes, Ecuador, South America

Bence Mate / Green crowned brilliant hummingbird (Heliodoxa jacula) male taking off to feed at feeder in garden, another waiting perched on lichen covered branch, Costa Rica, January. Winner, Eric Hosking award at...

B&S Draker / Three Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) females feeding on Texas thistle (Cirsium texanum). Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, May.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), male in flight feeding on flower. Hill Country, Central Texas, USA, August.

Diane McAllister / Rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) drinking nectar from an Agastache bloom in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, August

Diane McAllister / Male Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) hovers in mid-air looking at the camera in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, August