A young male Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) rests on a branch near a marsh in Edmonds, Washington. This bird, photographed in December, is showing its winter plumage. Hummingbirds are the smallest of all birds, weighing less than 0.3 ounces. They also have iridescent plumage, which magnifies certain wavelengths of light. The iridescence comes from the fact that their feathers do not lie flat, but rather have a V-shaped trough running along each barb. Their feathers are also covered with microscopic discs filled with tiny air bubbles.
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