One of my favorite hummingbirds. Only the adult male has the long tail. 2100m at the edge of cloud forest where I took this shot is pretty much the "hot zone" where you will find the greatest variety of hummingbird species. The number of species thins out as you go either up or down.
Peter,
What a wonderful photograph! Bravo!
Beyond being so surprisingly unusual and actually, unimaginable to most of us, this must be a marvel of nature. After all, those two exceptional and unusual features, the very long tail and the counterbalancing drag of the fluff of feathers in the "boot", must have a profound influence on energy expenditure and the dynamics and possibilities of control of flight.......unless, of course Lady Gaga dresses them, or this is particularly sexy at that altitude!
Asher