Hummingbirds in Slow Motion (HD Video)

In this video, filmmaker Ann Prum describes how she and her team made a Nature documentary about hummingbirds using high-speed HD cameras and specialized lenses. It's exquisite footage, and reveals surprising truths about the hummingbirds -- like what goes on when one encounters another at a flower (hummingbird fight!), and how scientists study hummingbirds both in the wild and captivity. For example, did you know that hummingbirds catch and eat insects for protein? And did you know it's insanely hard to photograph that brief moment?

Here's the behind-the-scenes video (note, you can see it in HD on YouTube):

And if you like that, you're in luck -- the entire film Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air is streaming online for free (although the full show isn't streaming in HD). If you like awesome photography and/or hummingbirds, it's well worth your time!

See also: Hummingbirds in Slow Motion, a collection of YouTube clips.