Scintillant Hummingbird by Clayton Burne (Selasphorus scintilla)

As one of the worlds smallest hummingbirds and the smallest within its range (the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama), the tiny Scintillant Hummingbird averages just 6cm in length, including its bill and weighs in at not much more than 2 grams! They extract nectar from plants via their long straw-like tongues, licking at the nectar up to an extraordinary 13 times per second. Other than pollen, they also consume insects caught on the wing. A nesting female can easily consume up to 2000 insects per day. This delicate individual was captured in Panama by Clayton Burne.