Hummingbirds: Nature’s Crown Jewels

Enjoy our slideshow of 55 hummingbirds, covering species occurring from Arizona to Peru and Brazil, and lots of places in between. Also on this page are links to the various tour destinations mentioned with the images. Happy virtual travels!

Click here for the slideshow in a larger format or to watch on a mobile phone.

Hummingbirds comprise one of the most diverse and beautiful families of birds. Nature’s Crown Jewels of the New World, with more than 325 species reflecting a dazzling array of patterns and colors, these gems offer some of the most thrilling bird sightings possible on any tour.

Where can you find 30, 40, even 50 or more species?
Our itineraries to the tropical highlands, or combining highlands and lowlands, offer the greatest treasure. The Andes of South America are home to the greatest number of species, in particular in Ecuador and Peru, where numerous birding itineraries see 30 or 40 or more species. Some Ecuador itineraries even regularly break the 50 species mark! Several other tropical destinations are also particularly rich and offer numerous sites with active feeding stations: our itineraries to the mountains of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru immediately come to mind. Of course, there are hummingbirds to be seen on all of our Neotropical tours from Mexico to Argentina, with numerous itineraries regularly recording 15 or more species.

Closer to home for US and Canadian travelers, of course, is Arizona, where the diversity of hummers is unrivaled elsewhere north of Mexico. Ten species are regulars, and on numerous trips several additional rarities are also present.

Love owls? See our slideshow of 46 species of owls & other nightbirds from around the world.