Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubrids)

A flash of green and red, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is eastern North America’s sole breeding hummingbird. These brilliant, tiny, precision-flying creatures glitter like jewels in the full sun, then vanish with a zip toward the next nectar source.The Ruby-throated Hummingbird beats its wings about 53 times a second. The extremely short legs of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird prevent it from walking or hopping. The best it can do is shuffle along a perch. Nevertheless, it scratches its head and neck by raising its foot up and over its wing. The requirements from the customer were to display the Hummer landing on a Columbine flower, so in addition to the wings, tail, and feet being wide open, I also created six stages of the Columbine on its stalk, from tightly-closed bud to full open flower.The bird and flowers are carved from Tupelo, the flower and leaf stems are brass tubing, the leaves are all thin brass shim, and the base is oak.Sculpture height was 16”.