This paper considers the taxidermized hummingbird as an imperial object during the second half of the nineteenth century in both scientific and fashion discourse. Popular scientific displays exhibiting hummingbirds existed in tandem with fashionable displays of the bird in jewelry, on fans, and in dresses. It was an unfortunate combination of material characteristics that made this bird so appealing to the Victorians. The iridescent feathers led to comparisons to “gems,” so it is little wonder that they became a jewelry material. Furthermore, the variety of hummingbirds made them collectible. Since the hummingbird exclusively lives in the Americas, it fascinated the Victorians as an exotic species, and its collection was a sign of British imperialism. The twin manias for both scientific and fashion collections are inseparable parts of the same cultural trends. This activity was not without critics, however, and I also consider the response of naturalist William Henry Hudson to these collections. Hudson pushed for a more local naturalism and argued against the collection of these animals as a mere commercial interest that, by objectifying these animals, valued death and collection over life.