Hi friends! I recently returned from a spring break trip to Costa Rica, a beautiful country in Central America. Costa Rica is an extremely biodiverse country – while I was there, I saw two-toed sloths, capuchin monkeys, keel-billed toucans, coatis, agoutis and much more. One of the best places to view wildlife in Costa Rica is at the famed Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. The Hummingbird Garden at the Reserve is an amazing place to spot different types of hummingbirds – my favorite birds to photograph.

There are 54 types of hummingbirds in Costa Rica. Hummingbirds belong to an order of birds called apodiformes. “Apodiformes” contains the Greek prefix a-, meaning not and the Greek root pod- meaning foot. It also includes the Latin ending -iform meaning in the shape of. Based on these roots, we can infer that hummingbirds have small (almost nonexistent) feet. And indeed, they have incredibly tiny feet and legs, and as a result, they cannot walk.

During the past year, I’ve discovered a new interest in wildlife photography. Hummingbirds are particularly challenging to photograph because they are so frenetic and elusive. That being said, I hope you enjoy my hummingbird pictures!