Description

They fly backward, dive-bomb rivals, and travel farther than most road trippers. On National Hummingbird Day, meet the rufous hummingbird\u2014photographed in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California. The bird, one of nine species in the genus Selasphorus, gets its name from its rusty, reddish-orange feathers. Males flash copper backs and red throat patches that shimmer in the sun. Females are more subdued but still carry streaks of rufous on their sides and tails.