Annas hummingbird Sep 7, 2024

Let"s meet Anna"s hummingbird, seen in today"s image. Named after Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli, it"s one of an estimated 366 hummingbird species, and it"s the most common species on North America"s western coast. With its shimmering emerald feathers and sparkling rose-pink throat, this little bird is a sight to behold. Hummingbirds are known for their incredible speed; they can flap their wings up to 80 times per second, allowing them to hover in place and even fly backwards. Emily Dickinson aptly describes their swift movement: "A Route of Evanescence / With a revolving Wheel—." Their high metabolism requires them to eat constantly, so they spend their days flitting from flower to flower, sipping nectar and catching insects.

© yhelfman/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Sep 7, 2023Camels in the desert, United Arab Emirates
Sep 7, 2025Gdańsk, Poland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 4, 2024Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
Mar 15, 2025The Temple of Saturn, Rome, Italy
Oct 3, 2025Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Sep 16, 2024Wallabies at sunrise, Australia
Nov 1, 2025Bison, Yellowstone National Park
May 14, 2026Pitigliano, Tuscany, Italy
Mar 10, 2024Prosecco Hills, Veneto, Italy
Mar 29, 2025Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, United States
Jun 3, 2024Bicycles in Copenhagen, Denmark
Oct 18, 2024Central Park, New York, United States
Apr 12, 2026International Space Station
Sep 6, 2024Glenariff Forest Park, Northern Ireland, UK
Oct 2, 2024Wind River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, USA
Mar 3, 2025Yellow-billed hornbills in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Feb 21, 2026Red fox, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States
Nov 22, 2025Monte Sirente, Abruzzo, Italy
Apr 18, 2024Medieval city walls, Ávila, Spain
July 19, 2026Barn swallows of different subspecies resting together
Nov 30, 2023The Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK
Nov 30, 2024Kilchurn Castle, Scotland
May 24, 2026Tre Cime Nature Park, South Tyrol, Italy
Apr 28, 2026Spectacled bear resting in tree, Ecuador
Apr 3, 2026Armbrug bridge, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mar 14, 2025Dolmen of Sorginetxe, Spain
Sep 23, 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica
Jul 15, 2024Tateishi Park, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Sep 21, 2023Inside the Nobel Peace Centre, Oslo, Norway
Jul 31, 2024Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
Jun 20, 2024Kokino, North Macedonia
Aug 24, 2024Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, USA