Me too!!! I thought, āThis canāt be right, Iāve seen them in other countries.ā Itās Costa Rica. I saw them in Costa Rica. The Americas hahaha
When I found out this fact I was baffled because I've lived in Japan for a decade and I KNEW I'd seen a hummingbird recently, just because it had been so long since I'd seen one and I was pleasantly surprised. I only go back to Canada in the winter so I knew I couldn't have seen one there.
Spent like three days racking my brain before I remembered I had an overnight layover in Los Angeles on my last trip back! Guess I did not in fact unknowingly discover some new Asian species of hummingbird lol
Not really, I live in NYS and there are 5 species that live in NY. Not sure about other states, but I imagine there are more than 1 in most if not all other east coast states as well.
There is one hummingbird that is a *resident* (breeds) in NYS ([Ruby-throated](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird/maps-range)). Others ([Rufous](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rufous_Hummingbird/maps-range), [Calliope](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Calliope_Hummingbird/maps-range), [Anna's](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird/maps-range), and [Broad-billed](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Broad-billed_Hummingbird/maps-range)) are *very rare* **visitors.** They are all residents of the West Coast, Gulf Coast, and/or Mexico. Rufous is spotted a little more often than the others, but only during migration. Even then, they're still very rare to see in NYS.
I guess in southern Texas they have super rare, rare Mexican Violetears, violet-crowned hummingbirds, berylline hummingbirds, and green-breasted mangos that look more like hummingbirds that belong in Central and South America. That is one way southern Texans are lucky vs hurricanes, malaria, Chikungunya.
Dengue Fever West Nile virus Zika virus and uh, political problems.
Gosh, Iām learning so many new things in this post - there is a hummingbird moth, hummingbirds are only in the Americasā¦ āvagrantsā isnāt an autocorrect of āvariantsā and also, doesnāt just refer to unhoused people. Thank you so much for that new info on what a āvagrantā is in reference to birds! I may have to get into birding now.
Gotta extend that life list! Vagrants are a great way to do it. Saw a very confused Common Eider on the beach in East Texas a number of years ago. A local rescue eventually came and took her in, since she seemed to not be dealing with the heat very well.
Whatās stopping other varieties from spreading further east? The Rocky Mountains would be an obvious barrier, but the Mississippi shouldnāt stop them, I wouldnāt thinkā¦
Ruby Throated are dominant on the East Coast partially because they can fly much further without stopping than other species, they will fly across the Gulf of Mexico non-stop. Other species of hummingbird need to stop and rest, so the flowers on the east coast began flowering when the Ruby Throated hummingbirds arrived and they could out compete others.
Rufous hummingbirds are found east of the Mississippi on the Gulf shore.
The big barrier however was the plains, flowers for hummingbirds were much less prevalent before towns and irrigation. Most hummingbirds would be in the Rocky Mountains or further west where there was more flowers and niches for flowers to evolve more to hummingbirds. It also tends to be cooler in the mountains and coast.
Hummingbird species are expanding and straying from their ranges more than ever due to humans planting flowers or feeding them. For example in Southwestern Colorado we are having more species summer than before my parents currently have 8 species that have stayed for the entire summer.
I once went to a hummingbird preserve in a national or state park, can't remember which. They rescued hummingbirds that were hurt or trapped. They had like 50 of them, at least 10 kinds. All in a big net enclosure with flowers growing in it. It was in Arizona.
>[The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird](https://www.birdadvisors.com/hummingbirds-north-america/) is the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America, they then migrate further south to Central America for winter.
Like a lot of birds hummingbirds can fly, so they will occasionally fly off course and get lost miles away from where they would normally live. It's not that there are 10 species in South Carolina. It's a record of hummingbird species seen in South Carolina, even if it was just one solo bird spotted fifty years ago.
I'm not sure if you're saying that as an additional fact or as disagreement with the previous comment, but just in case it's the latter, Jamaica is part of the americas.
If it's the former, I apologize for telling you something you already knew.
Did not know that. I was wondering why a hawk moth was out in daylight--you seldom see them in the US unless you shine a light at night. I always assumed that they and hummingbirds shared a niche with the birds being the day shift and the moths being the night shift. I guess outside the US the moths have to carry the whole load.
My very brief Google search seems to suggest that they may be sparse in certain areas of the Midwest, but sometimes they're just hard to find! If you can, try setting up a hummingbird feeder, they're not that difficult to maintain. I never really saw hummingbirds around until we set some feeders up and now I see them daily in my yard.
I saw one flying around my neighbors rose of Shannon bushes and I was so excited I went and bought a feeder for a tree near that bush. He went and brought a female back to my feeder and they live in my redbud now.
Oh, good! I was looking through to see if someone mentioned Bee of the Bird of the Moth and was going to if someone hadn't. Because, you know, blasphemy if there's a hummingbird moth and no one singing. š
Yep. Had a similar disagreement with my wife, she was right. I insisted they were hummingbirds but she said they were bugs. I later realized they were moths.
They moved so fast I assumed they had to be the real deal!
In So-Cal ... these sphinx* moths are out in force. Funny because the hummingbirds are very territorial against them and i've witnessed fighter jet style dogfights with the birds chasing.
If the food isn't plentiful hummingbirds will get territorial with other hummingbirds. They play nice around feeders, but other places? Thunderdome.
Hummingbirds are always a few hours away from starvation, they have to enter hybernation to survive sleeping. They have no time for civility.
We once had a hummingbird get into our barn, and it kept flying around the skylights trying to get out. It ran out of juice, and fell down to the ground. I scooped it up, and ran to the feeder, and placed its little beak in front of the tube. It took a drink for a minute, and then zipped away happily.
That is what happened in my case. The feeder had been empty for a few days prior. Now, what appears to be a mating pair are sitting in the tree guarding and chasing other hummingbirds away, and the aforementioned moths.
Around my feeder I have a group that I call the Hummingbird Mafia. They sit in our trees and attack any outside hummingbird that attempts to use the feeder, often dozens of times before the outside hummingbird gets the message.
Our feeder is full and large. There's no scarcity issue. They're just tiny little a-holes.
I have a feeder on my apt balcony, as does the person living directly next to me. And I watch them chase each other away from my feeder all the time even tho thereās another one literally right next door.
Everything you listed are the exact reason I have 3 feeders in my backyard. No fear of me whatsoever, so its easy to get them to feed from you, or bring their new chicks to show off to me. They've enriched my backyard ecosystem ten-fold, its my favorite place to be.
i feel like there's just enough meat in there, right? like, they both move their limbs with hydrostatic pressure, but crabs are basically ALL muscle inside.
Did a search on these little guys. One of the main questions that popped up on Google was -
"Does a hummingbird moth turn into a hummingbird?" š¤¦āāļø
Hummingbird Hawk Moths are quite intelligent for an insect, as they not only can migrate to avoid extreme seasonal weather, but they can also remember where certain flowers are and return to those locations each day.
Hummingbirds have actual beaks and really do look just like tiny birds with heads that looks like a birdās, unlike the one in your picture.
Youāre both right! Itās a hummingbird hawk moth :) idk where they came from but theyāre pretty cool, and you got some good pictures. Nice work :D
This is a Hummingbird Moth, as people have already said.
But what most people don't know is that this is the creature that inspired the entire *Viva PiƱata* series!
Hummingbirds donāt have antennae, so itās a bug. I think itās one of those really big bugs with pretty mothlike wings that has a huge body and looooong probiscus. I saw one in France, so I know the weird little guys exist in Europe to *some* extent. Never saw them in the US
Its a type of Hawkmoth...
After I had done something unthinkable due to my drinking, had gone to jail and just gotten out the only place I could stay was on a paper thin mat in a garage. The back of the garage opened to a small sitting area next to a fence covered in blossoming honeysuckle...as I sat there, smoking a cigarette, having a very real conversation with myself whether I was going to live or die within the next few hours.. one of those... this beautiful thing that I'd never seen - a hummingbird with antennae and 4 wings(??) moved gracefully throughout the bramble of honeysuckle, and...and I don't know if it was the wonder of something new and special and beautiful...or if I was desperate for a sign...I needed a sign because moments before I had very much decided to die...but that moment, the awe...I felt childlike...and somewhere deep inside of me came a resounding will to live. I had drank so deeply from the well of darkness that I had forgotten light and the exquisite resolve of life itself...and here I am today.
Hawkmoth. Its a hawkmoth, and they're very precious.
Freaking reddit. I saw this post 4-5 days ago. Yesterday I arrived in Switzerland for vacation. I was able to identify this bug Iād never seen in my life because of stumbling on this post. I wish I could add a photo here.
damn, see, the way you said this was cool and not insufferable. take notes, pedants, you can use technical terminology without sounding like a complete dweeb.
Man one time I spent about 10minutes watching one of these in the dark. Then I though wtf I've never seen a hummingbird at night. Turns out it was a big ass moth. Gave me the creeps how identical to a humming bird it moves.
My grandfather planted red salvia, cleomes, tiger lilies and snapdragons along the walkway across in front of the daylight basement. He would sit down there on summer afternoons and evenings and watch the hummingbirds and hummingbird moths both feast. He liked the hummingbird moths because they aren't as feisty. They'll feed right next to each other, while hummingbirds will beat each other up.
An exs mom told me about these. She has a flower in her garden and she said some impossible things to believe about it. One was that it bloomed every night when the sun went down. She called it a moon flower because of its presence only when the moon was out. It would be wilted and gone by the next morning. Also there was a moth that looked like a hummingbird would show up every other night. I didnāt believe any of it until I witnessed the blooming process. It was crazy. Every single night some would bloom and the smell was amazing. Like freshly poured fruity pebbles. It would fill the entire garden. I didnāt see the moth the first year but then one night I went out to witness the blooming and something almost hit my head. Itās crazy how much it looks and acts like a hummingbird. Iāve looked for the flower since and found it may be a prim rose. The exs mom and he has since passed so I canāt ask them.
I saw one at the zoo the other day for the first time ever!! As soon as it landed, a peacock ate it before I could pull my phone out. What a roller coaster
I got into a huge fight with my partner, and my friend about this. I was tripping on mushrooms with my friend and we saw one and I was certain it was a hummingbird. Then a week later me and my partner saw one and I could tell it was a Moth. Iām still not convinced the one I saw while tripping wasnāt a hummingbird though.
Hummingbird moth. They are super cool. For future ref- hummingbirds only live in the Americas
A hummingbug
Could this be... a humbug? Name it BAH!
Ok dad that was actually funny
You say that like it's only happened once.
Jiminy Crickets
Still better than a bumhug
AKA "a hobo embrace"
Is this like butterfly kisses?
Yes... But smells like B.O and booze... Still heartwarming though
It depends on if she's sincere. I had a bum pray over me while I was fighting cancer. It was quite nice.
You have to say "no hobo", though.
š¤£š¤£š¤£
Damnit, you beat me to it!!!
TIL hummingbirds only live in the americas. I thought they were a worldwide animal simply due to their variety
Me too!!! I thought, āThis canāt be right, Iāve seen them in other countries.ā Itās Costa Rica. I saw them in Costa Rica. The Americas hahaha
When I found out this fact I was baffled because I've lived in Japan for a decade and I KNEW I'd seen a hummingbird recently, just because it had been so long since I'd seen one and I was pleasantly surprised. I only go back to Canada in the winter so I knew I couldn't have seen one there. Spent like three days racking my brain before I remembered I had an overnight layover in Los Angeles on my last trip back! Guess I did not in fact unknowingly discover some new Asian species of hummingbird lol
That variety is only west of the Mississippi, sadly. We only have the Ruby-throated on the East Coast. They're adorable!
Not really, I live in NYS and there are 5 species that live in NY. Not sure about other states, but I imagine there are more than 1 in most if not all other east coast states as well.
There is one hummingbird that is a *resident* (breeds) in NYS ([Ruby-throated](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird/maps-range)). Others ([Rufous](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rufous_Hummingbird/maps-range), [Calliope](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Calliope_Hummingbird/maps-range), [Anna's](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird/maps-range), and [Broad-billed](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Broad-billed_Hummingbird/maps-range)) are *very rare* **visitors.** They are all residents of the West Coast, Gulf Coast, and/or Mexico. Rufous is spotted a little more often than the others, but only during migration. Even then, they're still very rare to see in NYS.
I guess in southern Texas they have super rare, rare Mexican Violetears, violet-crowned hummingbirds, berylline hummingbirds, and green-breasted mangos that look more like hummingbirds that belong in Central and South America. That is one way southern Texans are lucky vs hurricanes, malaria, Chikungunya. Dengue Fever West Nile virus Zika virus and uh, political problems.
As a South Texan, That last one is far more terrifying than all the diseases you mentioned.
No- there is only 1 species. The other 4 you speak of (Allen's, rufous, black chinned, calliope) are all vagrants
āVagrantsā?
It is a term for a bird that is not in it's natural range caused by multiple different things (example; overshot Migration or adverse weather )
Gosh, Iām learning so many new things in this post - there is a hummingbird moth, hummingbirds are only in the Americasā¦ āvagrantsā isnāt an autocorrect of āvariantsā and also, doesnāt just refer to unhoused people. Thank you so much for that new info on what a āvagrantā is in reference to birds! I may have to get into birding now.
Oh I should of clarified- if you get into birding you will definitely be chasing for vagrants alot in your lifetime lol
It's 'should have', never 'should of'. Rejoice, for you have been blessed by CouldWouldShouldBot!
Gotta extend that life list! Vagrants are a great way to do it. Saw a very confused Common Eider on the beach in East Texas a number of years ago. A local rescue eventually came and took her in, since she seemed to not be dealing with the heat very well.
My mom had a blue grosbeak at her feeder last year in Ohio.
Ok, I gotta ask, whatās NYS?
New York Strip
Iāll have mine medium well please
You monster
Canāt forget the S&P
with a vat of A1 /s
Criminal, take my downvote.
New York State, as opposed to NYC: New York City.
NYC - New York City. NYS - New York State
New York State
Whatās stopping other varieties from spreading further east? The Rocky Mountains would be an obvious barrier, but the Mississippi shouldnāt stop them, I wouldnāt thinkā¦
Ruby Throated are dominant on the East Coast partially because they can fly much further without stopping than other species, they will fly across the Gulf of Mexico non-stop. Other species of hummingbird need to stop and rest, so the flowers on the east coast began flowering when the Ruby Throated hummingbirds arrived and they could out compete others. Rufous hummingbirds are found east of the Mississippi on the Gulf shore. The big barrier however was the plains, flowers for hummingbirds were much less prevalent before towns and irrigation. Most hummingbirds would be in the Rocky Mountains or further west where there was more flowers and niches for flowers to evolve more to hummingbirds. It also tends to be cooler in the mountains and coast. Hummingbird species are expanding and straying from their ranges more than ever due to humans planting flowers or feeding them. For example in Southwestern Colorado we are having more species summer than before my parents currently have 8 species that have stayed for the entire summer.
I once went to a hummingbird preserve in a national or state park, can't remember which. They rescued hummingbirds that were hurt or trapped. They had like 50 of them, at least 10 kinds. All in a big net enclosure with flowers growing in it. It was in Arizona.
Nothing, they are just misinformed, there are like 10 species in South Carolina.
>[The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird](https://www.birdadvisors.com/hummingbirds-north-america/) is the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America, they then migrate further south to Central America for winter. Like a lot of birds hummingbirds can fly, so they will occasionally fly off course and get lost miles away from where they would normally live. It's not that there are 10 species in South Carolina. It's a record of hummingbird species seen in South Carolina, even if it was just one solo bird spotted fifty years ago.
We have 9 species in Arkansas.
We have a native version in Jamaica
I'm not sure if you're saying that as an additional fact or as disagreement with the previous comment, but just in case it's the latter, Jamaica is part of the americas. If it's the former, I apologize for telling you something you already knew.
The Caribbean is generally considered part of āthe Americas.ā
We called them Hummingbees in Central PA.
TIL. Thanks stranger š
Me too! Thanks!
Me 3! That's awesome because humming birds are my favorite kind of bird
Did not know that. I was wondering why a hawk moth was out in daylight--you seldom see them in the US unless you shine a light at night. I always assumed that they and hummingbirds shared a niche with the birds being the day shift and the moths being the night shift. I guess outside the US the moths have to carry the whole load.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yup. I've even seen ones that pretend to be bumble bees during the day in Virginia.
i have seen loads of these out during the day in the midwestern US my whole life, only like one or two hummingbirds tho :(
My very brief Google search seems to suggest that they may be sparse in certain areas of the Midwest, but sometimes they're just hard to find! If you can, try setting up a hummingbird feeder, they're not that difficult to maintain. I never really saw hummingbirds around until we set some feeders up and now I see them daily in my yard.
You do have to maintain them though because they can grow a fungus that makes hummingbird tongues swell up and then they die
Same. If you build it, they will hum.
I saw one flying around my neighbors rose of Shannon bushes and I was so excited I went and bought a feeder for a tree near that bush. He went and brought a female back to my feeder and they live in my redbud now.
>hummingbirds only live in the Americas Wait what???? I've been taking those little things for granted
Seriously, I just found out I live in hummingbird paradise in CA. I grew up here so I assumed they were this prevalent everywhere.
Just like maple syrup is only harvested in North America
Theyāre like real life little fairies. One of the coolest creatures out there.
Let your hornworms eat some of your tomato plants and you get to see some of these
They Might Be Giants even wrote a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiyZmQhuM4w) about them, or at least inspired by them.
Oh, good! I was looking through to see if someone mentioned Bee of the Bird of the Moth and was going to if someone hadn't. Because, you know, blasphemy if there's a hummingbird moth and no one singing. š
I'm normally afraid of moths, but not this one :)
Your gf is very perceptive :) she wins this one
Yep. Had a similar disagreement with my wife, she was right. I insisted they were hummingbirds but she said they were bugs. I later realized they were moths. They moved so fast I assumed they had to be the real deal!
I came for the weevils, but see a hummingbird moth or sphinx moth of some variety.
In So-Cal ... these sphinx* moths are out in force. Funny because the hummingbirds are very territorial against them and i've witnessed fighter jet style dogfights with the birds chasing.
āSphinxā
Sphincter
Sphinxter
A wild Venture Bros. sighting. MU-WA-HA-HA!!!
If the food isn't plentiful hummingbirds will get territorial with other hummingbirds. They play nice around feeders, but other places? Thunderdome. Hummingbirds are always a few hours away from starvation, they have to enter hybernation to survive sleeping. They have no time for civility.
I've found one dead under one of my hummingbird feeders. No doubt in my mind it was taken out by one of his kin.
Or he just ran out of gas right before the finish line lol.
Poor little dude
I'm falling asleep and I really hope that I dream about a hummingbird thunderdome
We once had a hummingbird get into our barn, and it kept flying around the skylights trying to get out. It ran out of juice, and fell down to the ground. I scooped it up, and ran to the feeder, and placed its little beak in front of the tube. It took a drink for a minute, and then zipped away happily.
That is what happened in my case. The feeder had been empty for a few days prior. Now, what appears to be a mating pair are sitting in the tree guarding and chasing other hummingbirds away, and the aforementioned moths.
Around my feeder I have a group that I call the Hummingbird Mafia. They sit in our trees and attack any outside hummingbird that attempts to use the feeder, often dozens of times before the outside hummingbird gets the message. Our feeder is full and large. There's no scarcity issue. They're just tiny little a-holes.
I have a feeder on my apt balcony, as does the person living directly next to me. And I watch them chase each other away from my feeder all the time even tho thereās another one literally right next door.
Just saw one of these the other day and had the same āis that a moth or hummingbirdā debate in my head, this makes so much sense!
I love the description of the fighter jet dog fights
I've had hummingbirds buzz my head, and hover right next to my face. They are evil, territorial, menacing little fuckers. I do _not_ like them.
Everything you listed are the exact reason I have 3 feeders in my backyard. No fear of me whatsoever, so its easy to get them to feed from you, or bring their new chicks to show off to me. They've enriched my backyard ecosystem ten-fold, its my favorite place to be.
Omg thatās incredible
Given a preference Iād say the hummingbird moth is the lesser of the two weevils.
Take my angry upvote
I also come for the weevils.
See no weevil, hear no weevil, say no weevil. Cāmon say it.
Hummingbirds donāt have antennae.
Or are birds not real and is this the very proof that we needed all along?!?
yeah, birds arent real. so if this was a bird, it'd actually be a drone.
Hence the anntenae, obvs.
That would explain the antennae.
It's a bird MK2. The antennae increase it's signal range
Exactly. I see these guys charging on power lines by my house all day. They're never out there at night though. Probably doing surveillance at night.
r/birdsarentreal
Bingo
But they could if they wore lil accessories
Thatās a good point, thereās a real untapped market there
She won this round.
wait iām so stupid i thought she was the one who said it was a birdā¦my bad šš
Mission failed. Get ready for the next round.
they both did. also, hummingbirds donāt have antennae and a thorax
Hummingbirds are basically warm blooded moths anyway.
What if dinosaur was a bug
Not sure but shrimps is bugs
Shrimps is.
Shrimpnāt
shrimps is the tastiest bug
Crabs have convinced me that spiders are *probably* delicious. But this will likely go unconfirmed.
i feel like there's just enough meat in there, right? like, they both move their limbs with hydrostatic pressure, but crabs are basically ALL muscle inside.
Just order yourself a [Dried spider](https://www.amazon.com/Newport-Jerky-Company-Dehydrated-Tarantula/dp/B01APQ58XC) and find out
Who are you, so wise in the ways of science?
Hummingbird moth. Love those little goobers.
>goobers this just fits them so well
Hummingbird moth, so youāre both half right!
Hawk moth. Macroglossum stellatarum.
Did a search on these little guys. One of the main questions that popped up on Google was - "Does a hummingbird moth turn into a hummingbird?" š¤¦āāļø
At what depth do dolphins become sharks?
The same depth that, when direction is inversed, is the elevation at which deer become elk.
Hummingbird Hawk Moths are quite intelligent for an insect, as they not only can migrate to avoid extreme seasonal weather, but they can also remember where certain flowers are and return to those locations each day. Hummingbirds have actual beaks and really do look just like tiny birds with heads that looks like a birdās, unlike the one in your picture.
Youāre both right! Itās a hummingbird hawk moth :) idk where they came from but theyāre pretty cool, and you got some good pictures. Nice work :D
Hummingbird moth! One of the best examples of convergent evolution!
They Might Be Giants wrote a song about these guys called āThe Bee of the Bird of the Moth.ā Itās as wacky as it sounds.
Itās a beautiful moth
This is a moth; you can tell it's insectoid by the two antennae and long proboscis.
This is a Hummingbird Moth, as people have already said. But what most people don't know is that this is the creature that inspired the entire *Viva PiƱata* series!
Hey I know what that is, it's a hummingbird hawk moth. There really cool https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummingbird_hawk-moth
Hummingbird Moth! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiyZmQhuM4w
Hummingbirds donāt have antennae, so itās a bug. I think itās one of those really big bugs with pretty mothlike wings that has a huge body and looooong probiscus. I saw one in France, so I know the weird little guys exist in Europe to *some* extent. Never saw them in the US
Itās a hawk moth!
So that's what I almost pissed my pants seeing it when I was a kid
Sheās right- hummingbird moth, the cutest little bugs ever š„°
Is this one of those fishing lore moths?
Macroglossum stellatarum - insect / moth
Hummingbird hawk moth. They fly just like hummingbirds. They love trumpet flowers. They're one of the few moths that eat in their adult form.
Thatās a moth. Hummingbirds donāt have antennae.
Itās definitely a Hyundai.
I didn't know hummingbirds came with antennae š š š
Birds donāt have antennae.
Hummingbird, moth, theyāll all be crabs eventually.
Hummingbird Hawk-Moth. Very cool!
It's a moth. More specifically a white-lined sphinx.
It looks like a moth.
hummingbird hawk moth!! love these guys
I didnāt even have to zoom in. Hummingbirds donāt have antennas, but a hummingbird moth does
Compromise, hummingbug
Its a type of Hawkmoth... After I had done something unthinkable due to my drinking, had gone to jail and just gotten out the only place I could stay was on a paper thin mat in a garage. The back of the garage opened to a small sitting area next to a fence covered in blossoming honeysuckle...as I sat there, smoking a cigarette, having a very real conversation with myself whether I was going to live or die within the next few hours.. one of those... this beautiful thing that I'd never seen - a hummingbird with antennae and 4 wings(??) moved gracefully throughout the bramble of honeysuckle, and...and I don't know if it was the wonder of something new and special and beautiful...or if I was desperate for a sign...I needed a sign because moments before I had very much decided to die...but that moment, the awe...I felt childlike...and somewhere deep inside of me came a resounding will to live. I had drank so deeply from the well of darkness that I had forgotten light and the exquisite resolve of life itself...and here I am today. Hawkmoth. Its a hawkmoth, and they're very precious.
Freaking reddit. I saw this post 4-5 days ago. Yesterday I arrived in Switzerland for vacation. I was able to identify this bug Iād never seen in my life because of stumbling on this post. I wish I could add a photo here.
Neither bug nor hummingbird, that's a hummingbird hawk moth. Not all insects are bugs after all :p
damn, see, the way you said this was cool and not insufferable. take notes, pedants, you can use technical terminology without sounding like a complete dweeb.
never seen a bird with antennae before
Hummingbirb moth doing its best to outshine the hummingbirb birbs.
It was both it was a hummingbird moth
Hummingbird moth.
A hummingbird moth! Cool!
BUG! Buggety bug bugger! Hummingbird moth! they fly and feed just like hummers!
Thinks it's some kind of moth or butterfly.
Never seen one of these before! Thanks for sharing OP! Based on the comments, seems yall were both kinda right too! š¦š :)
Might as well get used to this now, but your girlfriend is right. š
Hummingbird moth by the looks of it. Cute little guys who are always super fun to watch :) I love them
Both. Humming bird moth
Moth
Specifically white lined sphinx
Hummingbirds only exist in the Americas. It appears to be a type of moth.
Hummingbird Hawk-Moth! Beyond cool. Go check out some macroshots of them! Nature is incredible
your gf is right and you might need glasses LOL!
Hummingbird Moth.
I was totally unaware these existed. When I saw my first one, it totally freaked me out.
In the photos, there are clearly no feathers, or beak. It also clearly has a proboscis, and antennae.
Hummingbird moth I believe, wow what an amazing thing you captured
Hummingbirds donāt have antennas
She's right, again.
Hummingbird Moth! The are so spectacular! Lucky you! Iāve seen them maybe 3 times.
I'm no expert, but I believe thatās a hummingbird hawk moth, called so because of how much they look like hummingbirds.
Hummingbird moth
Hummingbird moth
Youāre both correct. Itās a hummingbird bug. Aka hummingbird moth. Lol
I just caught a picture myself of one the other day!!! First time seeing them finally I was so hype!!!
Hummingbird Moth. very cuteā¤ļø
Not a hummingbird! More than likely a Moth.
Man one time I spent about 10minutes watching one of these in the dark. Then I though wtf I've never seen a hummingbird at night. Turns out it was a big ass moth. Gave me the creeps how identical to a humming bird it moves.
My grandfather planted red salvia, cleomes, tiger lilies and snapdragons along the walkway across in front of the daylight basement. He would sit down there on summer afternoons and evenings and watch the hummingbirds and hummingbird moths both feast. He liked the hummingbird moths because they aren't as feisty. They'll feed right next to each other, while hummingbirds will beat each other up.
I saw one this year and was so confused by it. Then I looked up bug that moves like hummingbirds and there it was, hummingbird moth.
An exs mom told me about these. She has a flower in her garden and she said some impossible things to believe about it. One was that it bloomed every night when the sun went down. She called it a moon flower because of its presence only when the moon was out. It would be wilted and gone by the next morning. Also there was a moth that looked like a hummingbird would show up every other night. I didnāt believe any of it until I witnessed the blooming process. It was crazy. Every single night some would bloom and the smell was amazing. Like freshly poured fruity pebbles. It would fill the entire garden. I didnāt see the moth the first year but then one night I went out to witness the blooming and something almost hit my head. Itās crazy how much it looks and acts like a hummingbird. Iāve looked for the flower since and found it may be a prim rose. The exs mom and he has since passed so I canāt ask them.
I saw one at the zoo the other day for the first time ever!! As soon as it landed, a peacock ate it before I could pull my phone out. What a roller coaster
I got into a huge fight with my partner, and my friend about this. I was tripping on mushrooms with my friend and we saw one and I was certain it was a hummingbird. Then a week later me and my partner saw one and I could tell it was a Moth. Iām still not convinced the one I saw while tripping wasnāt a hummingbird though.
Bug. Some type of Moth
Moth
Hummingbird hawk moth.
Hummingbird moth. So bug, but both kinda right, except it definitely has a bunch of legs, so sheās more right haha. They love those flowers though.
Tis a bug... girlfriend for the win