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Resplendent Quetzal High Speed Video

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

One of the most beautiful birds in the world. Watch as both parents feed the two young chicks. The video looks best in full screen. Click the four arrows at the bottom right to expand. Maximum resolution is HD.   Resplendent Quetzal High Speed Video was last modified: December 11th, 2023 by Matt Shetzer

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Bald Eagles High Speed Video

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

It always amazes me watching the Bald Eagles in flight as they demonstrate their precision flying. I shot this video 5x slower than normal in Haines, Alaska during one of the largest bald eagle migrations in the world. The video looks best in full screen. Click the four arrows at the bottom right to expand. Maximum resolution is HD.   Bald Eagles High Speed Video was last modified: December 8th, 2021 by Matt Shetzer

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Rufus-Gaped Hillstar hummingbird slow motion video

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

The rufus-gaped hillstar hummingbird of Ecuador, captured in slow motion video. Thanks to a high-speed camera, this hummingbird is flying about 33x slower than you’d see with the naked eye. The video looks best in full screen. Click the four arrows at the bottom right to expand. Maximum resolution is HD.   Rufus-Gaped Hillstar hummingbird slow motion video was last modified: October 25th, 2021 by Matt Shetzer

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Swordbill hummingbird in flight

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

You probably know that hummingbirds beat their wings dozens of times per second to hang in midair while drinking nectar from flowers and feeders. But have you ever seen how it really works? With a high-speed camera, I was able to capture a sword-billed hummingbird in flight, drinking from a flower in the montane forests of Ecuador. The video looks best in full screen. Click the four arrows at the bottom right to expand. Maximum resolution is HD.   Swordbill …

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Sparkling Violetear hummingbird in slow motion

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

A sparkling Violetear hummingbird, shot in slow motion video using a high-speed camera. Don’t let their beauty fool you — these hummingbirds are tough. The sparkling violetear is one of the largest hummingbirds in the Andes, and throws its weight around to get first dibs on the best flowers and feeders. The video looks best in full screen. Click the four arrows at the bottom right to expand. Maximum resolution is HD.   Sparkling Violetear hummingbird in slow motion was …

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Swordbill hummingbird captured with high speed camera

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

The sword-billed hummingbird of Ecuador captured with a high-speed camera. Filming at 33 times the speed of standard video, we can see this swordbill hummingbird feeding in slow motion. Calling this bird’s long bill a “sword” isn’t just a metaphor. In 2019, ornithologists at UC Berkeley discovered that many South American hummingbirds use their bills to fight off predators and keep other hummingbirds away from the best feeding spots. En garde! The video looks best in full screen. Click the …

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Swordbill Hummingbird from Ecuador in slow motion

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

Out of all the hummingbirds I’ve snapped pictures of on my photography tours to Ecuador, the swordbill hummingbird, or sword-billed hummingbird, has to be one of my favorites. It’s amazing how they fly with such a long bill. This bill comes with big advantages: the sword-billed hummingbird can feed from flowers that other hummingbirds can’t crack. In this slow motion video, you can see a close-up view of one putting its long bill to work. The video looks best in …

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Sparkling Violetear hummingbird with high speed camera

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

The sparkling violetear hummingbird lives up its name, with purple bands at its ears and metallic green feathers that literally sparkle. This slow motion video I shot in Ecuador lets you appreciate its beauty up close. The video looks best in full screen. Click the four arrows at the bottom right to expand. Maximum resolution is HD.   Sparkling Violetear hummingbird with high speed camera was last modified: October 25th, 2021 by Matt Shetzer

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Rufous-Gaped Hillstar hummingbird in slow motion

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

The Rufous-Gaped Hillstar hummingbird, recorded in slow motion using a high-speed camera. This Andean hummingbird species has an unusual name, but it’s not hard to puzzle out. “Rufous” is a reddish-brown color, while the “gape” is the inside of a bird’s open mouth. So these hummingbirds must have red-brown coloration on the inside of their mouths. As for “hillstar,” with colors like that, of course they’re the stars of the show! The video looks best in full screen. Click the …

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Rufous-Gaped Hillstar photographed with high speed camera

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

The Rufous-Gaped Hillstar lives in the mountain forests of Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. I photographed this hummingbird with a high speed camera so we could see its wingbeats in slow motion. Shooting this way has really given me a new appreciation for how hard hummingbirds work! The video looks best in full screen. Click the four arrows at the bottom right to expand. Maximum resolution is HD.   Rufous-Gaped Hillstar photographed with high speed camera was last modified: October 25th, …

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White-Tailed Hillstar Hummingbird in Slow Motion

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

The white-tailed hillstar hummingbird is a gem of the Andean mountain forests. It was formerly considered the same species as the rufous-gaped hillstar, but ornithologists recently split them in two. I used high-speed video to capture the flight of a white-tailed hillstar in slow motion. With its frantic wingbeats slowed down, it’s easier to see the power and grace of this tiny hummingbird. The video looks best in full screen. Click the four arrows at the bottom right to expand. …

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Sword-Billed Hummingbird in Slow Motion

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

The sword billed hummingbird is one of nature’s most amazing creations. It’s the only bird in the world with a beak longer than its body. In the Andes Mountains of Ecuador, 9,000 feet above sea level, you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this stunning hummingbird feasting on the native flowers. I host photography workshops once a year in this beautiful country. This year, I stayed an extra week so I could capture high speed video of …

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South Texas Songbirds with High Speed Video

In High Speed Video, High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

  I traveled to the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas to capture songbirds on high speed video. At 1,000 frames per second, we can see the incredible precision flight skills these songbirds use to take off and land. I captured the high speed video with a Chronos 2.1 camera capable of shooting over 33 times faster than standard video. Most songbirds just look like a blur of wings to the naked eye, but in high speed, it’s clear how …

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Harris’s Hawks with High Speed Video

In High Speed Video by Matt Shetzer

  The Harris’s Hawk is one of my favorite birds of prey. It’s highly sociable for a raptor — groups of three are often seen working together to hunt prey, then sharing the meal afterwards! Every year, I lead a tour to the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas to photograph the vast variety of rare bird species that live there. In the dry, open country, you often see Harris’s Hawks perching on tree branches or prickly pear cacti. If …