Leucistic Annas hummingbird, UCSC Arboretum, California, USA 27 Apr 2024

Leucistic Annas hummingbird, UCSC Arboretum, California, USA

Get your binoculars and field guide and head to a local park to see what birds you can spot! There are approximately 18,000 known species of birds around the world. Birds come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colours and behaviours, making them one of the most diverse groups of animals on Earth—from imposing eagles to today"s tiny snowy-winged star, a leucistic Anna"s Hummingbird. These hummingbirds are typically vibrant in colour, but leucism means that they have decreased pigmentation, resulting in a paler appearance. Unlike albino birds, these hummingbirds retain some colour in their eyes. Their lighter plumage reduces protective camouflage, making them more vulnerable to predators such as hawks and feral cats.

© yhelfman/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

An endless stretch of sky
27 Apr 2025London Marathon

More Desktop Wallpapers:

12 Jul 2024Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA
15 Oct 2025Amethyst laccaria mushrooms, Seabeck, Washington, United States
12 Apr 2024Arches National Park, Utah, USA
5 Dec 2024Tufa formation on Mono Lake, California, United States
Ahead of the curve
12 Jul 2025Thomsons gazelles, Maasai Mara, Kenya
Surrounded by a sea of sand
Nature at its colourful best
26 May 2025Baobab trees, Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar
27 May 2025Mona Vale rockpool, Sydney, Australia
Nature’s blue wonder
6 Jun 202581st anniversary of D-Day
Where Asia meets Europe
19 Aug 2025The Three Musketeers Falls at Iguazú Falls, Argentina
25 May 2025Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Rolling hills and charming villages
24 Jun 2024Kelimutu, Flores, Indonesia
3 Jun 2024World Bicycle Day
24 May 2025European Day of Parks
A castle full of history
Blue as far as the eye can see
What’s your favorite colour?
28 May 2025World Otter Day
9 Nov 2023Birch trees, Drammen, Norway
Tomb of the Golden Pharaoh
17 Dec 2023Bohemian waxwings
28 Jul 2025World Nature Conservation Day
1 Feb 2024Sassnitz lighthouse, Rügen, Germany
A legend sprung from the ground
Passing with flying colours