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Artwork (Digital) / Animal related (non-anthro)
Species Avian (Other)
Gender Male
Size 720 x 969
File Size 135.7 kB
More from Vantid
“Of white and tawny, black as ink,
Yellow, and undefined, and pink,
And piebald, there are droves I think.
(Buff kine in herd, gray whales in pod,
Brown woodchucks, colored like the sod,
All creatures from the hand of God.)
And many of a hellish hue;
But, for some reason hard to view,
Earth’s bluish animals are few.”
~Henry David Thoreau
Another piece for the Endangered Ark: http://endangeredark.com/
The Colorful Puffleg (Eriocnemis mirabilis) is a critically endangered hummingbird, one of several in it's Genus, Eriocnemis. These hummingbirds are called "pufflegs" for obvious reason and this guy is no exception His scientific name means "hummingbird with hotpants" since his poofs tend to have a cinnamon tint.
Originally discovered in 1967, the continued existence of these birds was proved only in 2007 and an estimate of 50-250 individuals alive puts them on the Critically Endangered list. They live on the slopes of a small section of Western Colombian cloud forest between the altitudes of 2200 and 2800 meters. Deforestation of its habitat threatens to wipe out not only the tiny population of this hummer, but also another 16 endangered bird species, two endangered frog species and many other rare birds, amphibians, butterflies and plants that only occur in this part of the world.
This bird is so rare I only came across 2 tiny photo online. One was on the National Geographic website and the name of the photographer was listed. (As an aside, that was pure luck, I was looking at something else there, not searching for references. The photo was labeled as another kind of hummingbird!) A quick google search got me the email address and I wrote him explaining what I was doing and asked if it was possible for larger version of the photo and perhaps some information about the bird.
Luis A. Mazariegos Hurtado, Ph.D., who co-discovered a new species of puffleg in 2001, the Gorgetd Puffleg, replied with SIX large photos for me to use and a wonderful PDF of information about the whole genus. As a nerd I was just as excited about the measurements of the 5th retrix as the photos. He also helped me with my original sketch, which I feel still isn't accurate to the live animal.
I was so excited and grateful for all his help! He has a charity, http://www.thc-fc.org, which protects endangered hummingbirds of the Colombian Neotropics.
And so, I pledge 100% of the profits from print sales to this charity. Small 8 by 11's are $15, and 11 by 16 are $40. Shipping is $4 and $5, respectively, within the US, $8 for international.
Yellow, and undefined, and pink,
And piebald, there are droves I think.
(Buff kine in herd, gray whales in pod,
Brown woodchucks, colored like the sod,
All creatures from the hand of God.)
And many of a hellish hue;
But, for some reason hard to view,
Earth’s bluish animals are few.”
~Henry David Thoreau
Another piece for the Endangered Ark: http://endangeredark.com/
The Colorful Puffleg (Eriocnemis mirabilis) is a critically endangered hummingbird, one of several in it's Genus, Eriocnemis. These hummingbirds are called "pufflegs" for obvious reason and this guy is no exception His scientific name means "hummingbird with hotpants" since his poofs tend to have a cinnamon tint.
Originally discovered in 1967, the continued existence of these birds was proved only in 2007 and an estimate of 50-250 individuals alive puts them on the Critically Endangered list. They live on the slopes of a small section of Western Colombian cloud forest between the altitudes of 2200 and 2800 meters. Deforestation of its habitat threatens to wipe out not only the tiny population of this hummer, but also another 16 endangered bird species, two endangered frog species and many other rare birds, amphibians, butterflies and plants that only occur in this part of the world.
This bird is so rare I only came across 2 tiny photo online. One was on the National Geographic website and the name of the photographer was listed. (As an aside, that was pure luck, I was looking at something else there, not searching for references. The photo was labeled as another kind of hummingbird!) A quick google search got me the email address and I wrote him explaining what I was doing and asked if it was possible for larger version of the photo and perhaps some information about the bird.
Luis A. Mazariegos Hurtado, Ph.D., who co-discovered a new species of puffleg in 2001, the Gorgetd Puffleg, replied with SIX large photos for me to use and a wonderful PDF of information about the whole genus. As a nerd I was just as excited about the measurements of the 5th retrix as the photos. He also helped me with my original sketch, which I feel still isn't accurate to the live animal.
I was so excited and grateful for all his help! He has a charity, http://www.thc-fc.org, which protects endangered hummingbirds of the Colombian Neotropics.
And so, I pledge 100% of the profits from print sales to this charity. Small 8 by 11's are $15, and 11 by 16 are $40. Shipping is $4 and $5, respectively, within the US, $8 for international.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Animal related (non-anthro)
Species Avian (Other)
Gender Male
Size 720 x 969px
File Size 135.7 kB
The colors are fresh and vivid. Ligting adds vitality to the bird. You did marvelous job on the feathers.
But the bird doesn't looks like it's flying. Something is missing and it's something more than a motion blur.
I can't understand how the light goes. Belly is darkly shaded, but the tail and wings are not.
That's what I think and i hope I'm wrong ;)
But the bird doesn't looks like it's flying. Something is missing and it's something more than a motion blur.
I can't understand how the light goes. Belly is darkly shaded, but the tail and wings are not.
That's what I think and i hope I'm wrong ;)
It's just hard to believe that such a tiny scrap of life can be so vivid with fire, as through struck from flint by the tropical sunlight.
The only other creature I've ever seen so blue, was dorado accompanying our boat somewhere down south -- brilliant vibrant creatures, like something out of a younger and beautiful world.
The only other creature I've ever seen so blue, was dorado accompanying our boat somewhere down south -- brilliant vibrant creatures, like something out of a younger and beautiful world.
I saw a mother hummingbird fly around feeding and return to her little itty bitty nest about every minute. Cutest thing I ever saw. The nest was about the size of a chicken egg cut in half and it was on a thin little branch that was moving around a whole foot in the wind. I was in *awe* thinking "Wow, her little babies, the next generation are in that thing."
I've always loved hummingbirds for their bright colors and fast movements. I spent many a day at my grandmothers house out in the country just watching these birds eat from flowers and hummingbird feeders in her back yard. Such fond memories of them zooming within inches of my head. I think all were just the common ruby throated or whatever they may really be called, but they are still beautiful.
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