Author: BrantaMedia.Com

_{This YouTube video was produced by the American Bird Conservancy.}

Hummingbirds are a true wonder of the Americas – from their bright colors and speedy flight to their astonishing diversity (more than 360 species!) and incredible migrations. These tiny but mighty birds are unique to the Western Hemisphere and inhabit a wide range of habitats, including tropical rainforests, arid deserts, and even urban neighborhoods.

But hummingbirds are not so small, or so fast, that they can avoid the many threats to their survival, and many are in decline. At least 50 species are under threat across the Americas, including the

_{This YouTube video was produced by the American Bird Conservancy.}

The Emerald Tanager (Tangara florida) is truly a gem of the forest, roaming through the canopy in search of fruiting trees in the humid montane forests of Central and northern South America. Although primarily a fruit-eater, this species is also adept at hunting insects and other invertebrates on tree branches, deftly manipulating mosses with its bill in search of prey. This behavior sets it apart from other tanager species it often flocks with, but outside of the Emerald Tanager’s range, other specialized tanager species may fill this niche.

The Emerald

_{This YouTube video was produced by the American Bird Conservancy.}

The Anna’s Hummingbird is a characteristic and charismatic species of coastal Central, Southern, and Baja California, although this species has expanded its range northward along the Pacific Coast and eastward into the Desert Southwest. Like the Rufous Hummingbird, Anna’s is well known for its aggressive territorial behavior. Males fiercely defend feeding areas, where they chase away other male hummingbirds and even large insects such as bumblebees and hawk moths that try to feed there.

Although the Anna’s Hummingbird readily feeds from non-native plants, wild plants are still crucial to these