A biologist holds a hummingbird (Amazilia Beryllina) in a pollination garden set by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City on October 16, 2018. - The garden was created to study and contribute to the conservation of this species appreciated by bird watchers and symbol of deities in Mesoamerican cultures. The initiative emerged in the United States in 2014, when then first lady Michelle Obama incorporated a floral section in the White House to be pollinated by bees, another species of great ecological scope and currently in danger of extinction. (Photo by Omar TORRES / AFP)
In a dimly lit corner of a bustling market in Mexico City, vendors of amulets, voodoo dolls and other mystical objects sell tiny, taxidermied hummingbirds as charms to bring luck in love.
Sold for about US$100 (RM400) each, the lifeless corpses are a symbol of the threats faced by hummingbirds, which are known for their speedy wings, delicate beauty and key role in pollination.
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