Nothing Says Tucson Magic Like Our Hummingbirds

Guest post by Dan Weisz

Tucson Audubon has declared this the "Year of the Hummingbird”.  To learn more about their offerings, go to tucsonaudubon.org/hummingbirds

Below I present photos of backyard hummingbirds along with photos of murals on the Pascua Yaqui Nation that include Hummingbirds in them.  Lent is a season that the Yaqui people truly respect and cherish and their ceremonies may be viewed by the public in Tucson at several locations between now and Easter Sunday.  For more information, see the Tribe’s Culture Page pascuayaqui-nsn.gov/index.php/culture-home  The link to the “Lent Schedule” provides times and dates.  For a short history on the Pascua Yaqui, see manataka.org/page129.html 

According to Louis D. Valenzuela, an accomplished Yaqui artist, the hummingbird “represents the Yoeme culture.  The hummingbird is considered to be a spiritual bird that comes from the “Sewa Ania” Flower World and is a messenger with powerful blessing and protection.”

A photo of a Costa’s Hummingbird, a rather common hummingbird of the Tucson area.

and his other ‘good’ side

One public mural on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation.

And another beautiful mural.

Sitting on a dead cholla branch is a Broad-billed Hummingbird, another common Tucson-area bird.

Portrait of a Broad-billed Hummingbird

One more mural, from the Administrative building on the Yaqui Reservation.

A painted mural.

And the Broad-billed Hummingbird’s “other” good side!!

It’s springtime, so we’ll be seeing many more hummingbirds in the days and months to come!