Allen's hummingbird, Santa Cruz, California

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Stopping for a blossom beverage. Allen's Hummingbird

With their vibrant plumage, delicate features and ability to hover mid-air, hummingbirds are one of the wonders of the natural world. The rapid flapping of their wings—an average of 53 times a second—creates their trademark humming sound. That gives them quite an appetite: these little birdies can feed every 10–15 minutes! Today's specimen is an Allen's hummingbird, which can be found along the western coast of North America, most commonly in California. They arrive in these areas as early as January and gradually become easy to spot.