Betsisanders' Sunbirds

Title: Sunbird 

(yellow bellied sunbird or olive backed sunbird)

Medium: Acrylic

Size: 12 x 12 inches

Artist: betsisanders 2013

betsisanders' sunbirds

"Hummingbird is a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible.Hummingbird will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances." 

"HUMMING... Hummingbirds remind us to hum.
Humming creates an internal message, restoring health and balance.
Find joy in what you do and sing it out."

You love life and its joys.

Your presence brings joy to others.

You join people together in relationships which bring out the best in them.

You know instinctively where beauty abides and, near or far, you journey to your ideal.

You move comfortably within a beautiful environment and help others taste the succulent nectar of life.

Hummingbird hears celestial music and is in harmony with it.

Hummingbird energetically embraces the highest aesthetics.

Hummingbird's mission is to spread joy or be destroyed.
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Interesting Hummingbird Facts

Hummingbirds could not live without flowers, and many flowers could not live without pollination by hummingbirds.

Hummingbirds cannot walk. They are, however, the most skillful flyer of all birds. They can fly backward, forward, sideways as well as hover in the air.

Hummingbirds can reach high speed at its take off. It can also stop immediately in flight from a high speed.

Hummingbirds are not afraid of any predators.

Hummingbirds have been known to chase off eagles.

Hummingbirds must eat 50 to 60 meals a day to keep up with its high degree of activity.

Hummingbirds are very playful.

This is the link where the above was quoted from. 

http://www.outoftheearth.com/hummbrd.htm
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The original title of this painting was Hummingbird, 

until I searched Google about hummingbirds 

and this was what I found out. 

Hummingbird? No…
Handsome Sunbird, Yes!
Do we have hummingbirds in the Philippines?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions during our guided bird walks for the non-birder public. And to this we enthusiastically reply that what we have are sunbirds, feathered friends that are almost the same size, same diet, same habits and as equally charming as the hummingbirds from the  Americas.

In fact, The Philippines has 12 kinds of sunbirds, 7 of which are endemic or found only in our country. They live in a wide array of habitats, among them the most common, garden-bird Olive-backed Sunbird, the mangrove-dwelling Copper-throated Sunbird from Palawan, the localized and high-elevation Apo Sunbird from Mindanao and this lowland forest-dwelling Handsome Sunbird from PICOP, Bislig, Surigao del Sur, Mindanao, among others.

The Handsome Sunbird is one of the smallest sunbirds in the Philippines and ranges in most Philippine islands except Palawan where it is replaced by the similarly-looking Lovely Sunbird. The sunbird featured here belongs to the bella race and can be seen frequenting flowering and fruiting trees in forest and forest edge, feeding on nectar and sometimes small insects.

Thanks to the author for this very informative article. 
Please click on the link below to read more articles about birds. 
http://www.birdingphilippines.com/2011/06/02/handsome-sunbird/Yellow-bellied 

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Sunbird 

.... also known as the Olive-backed Sunbird is common across southern China to the Philippines and Malaysia down to northeast Australia. They are small songbirds, at most 12cm long. In most subspecies, the underparts of both male and female are bright yellow, the backs are a dull brown colour. The forehead, throat and upper breast of the adult male is a dark, metallic blue-black. In the Philippines the males of some subspecies have an orange band on the chest, in Wallacea and northern New Guinea some subspecies have most of the underparts blackish, and in southern China and adjacent parts of Vietnam most of the underparts of the male are greyish-white. Originally from mangrove habitat, the Olive-backed sunbird has adapted well to humans, and is now common even in fairly densely populated areas, even forming their nests in human dwellings. The birds mate between the months of April and August. Both the male and the female assist in building the nest which is flask-shaped, with an overhanging porch at the entrance, and a trail of hanging material at the bottom end. After building the nest, the birds abandon the nest for about a week before the female returns to lay one or two greenish-blue eggs. The eggs take a further week to hatch. The female may leave the nest for short periods during the day during incubation. After the chicks have hatched, both male and female assist in the care of the young, which leave the nest about two or three weeks later.

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Hummingbird Symbolism

The hummingbird symbolizes many different concepts. Because of its speed, the hummingbird is known as a messenger and stopper of time. It is also a symbol of love, joy, and beauty. The hummingbird is also able to fly backwards, teaching us that we can look back on our past. But, this bird also teaches that we must not dwell on our past; we need to move forward. When the hummingbird hovers over flowers while drinking nectar, we learn that we should savour each moment, and appreciate the things we love.

The hummingbird has powerful spiritual significance. In the Andes of South America the hummingbird is a symbol of resurrection. It seems to die on cold nights, but comes back to life again at sunrise.

Hummingbird is the creature that opens the heart. When the hurt that caused us to close our hearts gets a chance to heal, our hearts are free to open again.

With hummingbird consciousness, we learn the truth of beauty. Our life becomes a wonderland of delights in flowers, aromas and tastes. We laugh and enjoy creation, we appreciate the magic of the present moment, and the magic of being alive.

Hummingbird teaches us the medicinal properties of plants and how to work with the energy of flowers to heal ourselves and others. Hummingbirds teach us fierce independence. They teach us to fight in a way where no one gets hurt. They teach us courage. Having the courage to refrain from creating new trauma by communicating non-violently toward ourselves and others is an important part of healing. Recovering lost parts of ourselves enables us to become healthily independent.

It is not commonly known that the fluttering wings of the hummingbird move in the pattern of an infinity symbol - further solidifying their symbolism of eternity, continuity, and infinity.

By observing the Hummingbird, we see they are seemingly tireless. Always actively seeking the sweetest nectar, they remind us to forever seek out the good in life and the beauty in each day. Amazing migrators, some Hummingbirds are known to wing their way as far as 2000 miles to reach their destination. This quality reminds us to be persistent in the pursuit of our dreams, and adopt the tenacity of the Hummingbird in our lives.

Added by Matthew James On 9/13/2009 08:40:00 pm

Index: Aztecs, mythology, Native American, Occult, Popular Beliefs, Special Interest, Symbolism, Totem Animals

http://mara-gamiel.blogspot.com/2009/09/hummingbird-symbolism.html
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Thank you to the authors.

 Your articles gave meaning to my simple artwork. These paintings will be on exhibit at the Eastwood City, Cinema Lobby starting March 10, 2013. 

These birds hum. Let us try to do that too. Thirteen years ago, I was "enveloped with overwhelming sadness" after my mom's demise. That's when I started painting. There were days when all I did was cry, and it lasted for an entire month.... Until one morning, I heard myself humming a tune, That's when I realized that I have healed. One of the authors I quoted in my blog said, "Find Joy in what you do and sing it out."

/ betsisanders 2013