You can just imagine how this tiny hummingbird got his name. His crest can look like tiny little wires sticking up from the crown of his head and his tail is long and pointy, if not as sharp as a thorn. His forehead is actually a very bright green but it only shines in certain light and with a very special cock of the head. The pictures below show both mature males with full crest and tail, immature males with tiny tails and barely the mention of a crest, and females, with no crest or long tail at all.
I found this bird surprisingly hard to photograph. He is a prolific visitor to the feeders and wildflowers at Wildsumaco Lodge, so you would assume he would make an easy and excellent subject. But his dark greens and blacks help him camouflage very well with the forest background. He liked to perch in locations that were shady, rather than sunny, so capturing the shine of his feathers was a challenge.
-
- A female Wire-crested Thorntail – check out the small white patch on her cheek.
-
- A male Wire-crested Thorntail
-
- A male Wire-crested Thorntail at the feeder.
-
- A male Wire-crested Thorntail drinks deeply at the feeder.
-
- A male Wire-crested Thorntail
-
- A male Wire-crested Thorntail
-
- A male Wire-crested Thorntail
-
- An immature male Wire-crested Thorntail.
-
- A female Wire Crested Thorntail prefers wildflowers to feeders.
-
- A male Wire-crested Thorntail
-
- A male Wire-crested Thorntail
-
- A good profile of a male Wire-crested Thorntail.
-
- A pair of Wire-crested Thorntails.
-
- That shiny forehead strikes again on the male Wire-crested Thorntail.
-
- A male Wire-crested Thorntail with his forehead shining brightly.
-
- A male Wire-crested Thorntail at the feeder.
