The
sapphire-throated hummingbird (Chrysuronia coeruleogularis) is a shiny, metallic-green hummingbird found in Panama, Colombia, and Costa Rica. During flight, hummingbirds have one of the highest
metabolic rates among small birds and therefore need to eat more than their own weight of
nectar each day to avoid starvation; insects and spiders are also consumed for added protein. Males are
polygamous, and after mating play no part in nest-building or rearing the young. This male sapphire-throated hummingbird was photographed in the gardens of
Biomuseo, a natural-history museum in
Panama City designed by
Frank Gehry.
Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp