Rare Hummingbirds Pictured In Remote Jungle

The stunning creatures, whose feathers are an astonishing array of violet and emerald green, were photographed in mid-flight by Nicolas Reusens.

The 39-year-old Swedish photographer travelled to Pacha Quindi Reserve in Tandayapa, Ecuador.

The area is renowned for its rich wildlife and large population of rare hummingbirds.

Nicolas spent days amongst hungry mosquitoes, rain and spiders to spot the vibrant birds.

He even crouched for four hours in a hide waiting for a violet-tailed Sylph to approach a dahlia.

Nicolas said: “One of the most amazing moments during my eight-day trip in the Tandayapa cloud forest was meeting the booted racket-tail males.

“These small little fellas were all around the reserve, and had a totally different character than the others, they were much more friendly and calm.

“Their size was a handicap as the big brothers were always the bosses around the feeders and the plants, but they managed to get through tiny and tight areas where the bigger specimens couldn’t reach.

“My favorite part was being in a garden with 2,000-3,000 hummingbirds buzzing all around per day.

“As a wildlife photographer I had thousands of opportunities to take pictures not only of hummingbirds but dozens of other animals too.”