2007 25-cent Birds of Canada - Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

2007 25-cent Birds of Canada - Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

It is one of summer's most animated sights; a hummingbird flitting about the garden-up, down, left, right, even backing up - often hovering in one place as it sticks its long, slender bill deep into a flower for a drink of nectar. Not much bigger than a large moth, the hummingbird packs surprising punch for its diminutive size. It aggressively defends its food supply and territory, successfully chasing away much larger intruders with its quick, unpredictable manoeuvres and the unsettling hum of its wings beating 55 to 75 times per second. Even an 800 km (500 mi) expanse of water is no match for this sturdy little bird that readily crosses the Gulf of Mexico to its wintering grounds in Central America- and returns north the following spring to mate. Of the five species that live in Canada, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the best-known and most widely distributed, delighting those quick enough to spot it throughout eastern Canada and as far west as southern Alberta.

Specifications:
Face Value: 25 cents
Mintage: 25,000
Composition: Nickel plated steel
Weight(g): 12.61
Diameter(mm): 35
Edge: Plain
Finish: Specimen

Special Features:
Beautiful full-colour painted design of Canada's best known hummingbird. This theme is featured in the Canadian Wildlife Federation's 'wildly' popular Hinterland Who's Who program.

Packaging:
Coin encapsulated and presented in a maroon clamshell case lined with flock and protected by a black beauty box.