First, it was the colour of a dress that had all of us scratching our heads. Then there was this girl , with the seemingly mystical ability to change her hair colour. Now, feast your eyes on the magnificence that is this bird. And this little guy has been doing it since forever.
Anna’s Hummingbird from Don DesJardin on Vimeo .
Say hello to Anna’s Hummingbird, shot by California-based photographer Don DesJardin . This one’s a closeup of a male showing off iridescent feathers on its gorget and head. The feathers appear to change colour because of the three films on their surface, each of which is a mosaic of platelets. These platelets, with their thickness and air content, determine the change in color. There’s some fascinating science at work here. David Sibley explains it here .
Feature Image Source: vimeo.com