[Length 3.75 in. Wingspan 4.5 in.]

Male Hummingbirds have iridescent coloring on the throat or gorget. Most colors in nature are created by chemical compounds called pigments that look the same from any direction. However, iridescent coloring is created by the physical structure of the feather reflecting and refracting the light, and the color can only be seen when the feathers are facing directly towards the observer. When the bird turns its head even slightly in either direction, the color disappears and the feathers appear black. Sometimes the gorget displays a "diluted" color when viewed from the side, as the orange/yellow coloration of this male's gorget shows. This male Ruby-throated Hummingbird was photographed at Ingram, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 300 f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: August 1999)

[Length 3.75 in. Wingspan 4.5 in.]

This male Ruby-throated Hummingbird, showing how the gorget feathers turn black if the bird isn't facing the observer, was photographed at Santa Ana NWR, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 300 f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: April 2000)

[Length 3.75 in. Wingspan 4.5 in.]

This brilliant adult male Rufous Hummingbird was photographed at a feeder during fall migration in the Texas Hill Country, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4 lens on Kodak EliteChrome 200 film. (Date: May 2002)

[Length 3.75 in. Wingspan 4.5 in.]

This immature male Rufous Hummingbird was photographed at Beatty's Lodge, Miller Canyon, Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: August 8, 2007)

[Length 3.75 in. Wingspan 4.5 in.]

This immature male Rufous Hummingbird was photographed at Beatty's Lodge, Miller Canyon, Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: August 8, 2007)

[Length 3.75 in. Wingspan 4.5 in.]

This immature male Rufous Hummingbird was photographed at Russ Pitman Park, Bellaire, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D3200 camera. (Date: January 14, 2013)

[Length 3.75 in. Wingspan 4.5 in.]

This Rufous Hummingbird was photographed at Russ Pitman Park, Bellaire, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D3200 camera. (Date: January 14, 2013)

[Length 3.75 in. Wingspan 4.5 in.]

This juvenile Rufous Hummingbird was photographed at the Paton's backyard, Patagonia, Arizona, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC17E II 1.7x Teleconverter on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: July 12, 2013)