Empress brilliant hummingbird and a bee in Colombia

© Jiri Hrebicek/Alam

Info. Empress brilliant hummingbird and a bee in Colombia

We're featuring what appears to be a face-off between two pollinators. On one side, you have the bee, which is the best-known pollinator. But birds – like this empress brilliant hummingbird – are excellent pollinators as well. And so are bats, beetles and other critters that can also move pollen from plant to plant to aid pollination, giving us fruits, seeds and the next generation of plants.

Hummingbirds are only found in the Western Hemisphere. There are over 300 species and most live in Central and South America, like this empress brilliant hummingbird, which can be found in Colombia and Ecuador. This type of bird leads a solitary life other than breeding. Males have a purple patch on their throats. Females look similar but their plumage is mostly green.