Fiery-throated Hummingbird
Panterpe insignis
If you see the throat in good light, there is no mistaking this beauty: no other hummingbird combines every color of the rainbow on the throat and breast. In poor light, could be mistaken for other fairly large hummingbirds like Talamanca Hummingbird. Look for dark blue-black tail, medium-length bill with pink at the base, and blue rump, or just wait for it to turn its head. Sexes alike. Found in montane forests and edges, mostly from 1500m to treeline. Frequently visits feeders.
Identification
The fiery-throated hummingbird is 10.5 to 11 cm (4.1 to 4.3 in) long. Males weigh 5.9 to 6.2 g (0.21 to 0.22 oz) and females 4.9 to 5.2 g (0.17 to 0.18 oz). Within each subspecies the male and female are alike. All have a mostly black bill with a pink base to the mandible and a small white spot behind the eye. The nominate P. i. insignis has a glittering royal blue crown and the rest of the face and nape are black. The back is bright metallic green that becomes bluish green on the uppertail coverts. The tail is blue-black. The center of the throat is brilliant rosy coppery orange and the sides are golden green. It has a violet-blue patch on the center of the breast and the rest of the underparts are bright green to blue-green. Subspecies P. i. eisenmanni is slightly smaller than the nominate but has a much shorter bill. The black of the neck extends onto the upper back and the blue-violet of the chest extends into the belly. The uppertail coverts are mostly blue.
Taxonomy
The fiery-throated hummingbird is the only member of genus Panterpe. It has two subspecies, the nominate P. i. insignis and P. i. eisenmanni.
- Scientific name
- Panterpe insignis
- Authority
- Cabanis & Heine, 1860
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Panterpe
Range and habitat
The nominate subspecies of fiery-throated hummingbird is found from the Cordillera de Tilarán in north-central Costa Rica southeast to Bocas del Toro and Chiriquí provinces of far western Panama. P. i. eisenmanni is restricted to the Cordillera de Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. The species inhabits a variety of wooded landscapes including montane forest, cloudforest and elfin forest. It also occurs in more open landscapes like the lower edge of páramo, secondary forest, and pastures with many trees. It mostly remains in the forest canopy but occurs in shrubs low down at the forest edge and in clearings. In northern and north-central Costa Rica it occurs at elevations from 1,600 m (5,200 ft) to summits at up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft); further south in higher mountains it ranges between 2,200 and 3,200 m (7,200 and 10,500 ft).
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
In at least parts of its range, the fiery-throated hummingbird moves to lower elevations after breeding, though rarely below 1,400 m (4,600 ft).<p>The fiery-throated hummingbird feeds on nectar taken from a variety of small flowers, including those of epiphytic Ericaceae, bromeliads, shrubs, and small trees. At flowers too deep for its bill it will take nectar from holes made by itself, bumblebees, and flowerpiercers. The species is aggressive and dominant over most other hummingbirds. Males defend feeding territories during the breeding season but allow females to feed; both sexes defend territories post-breeding. In addition to nectar, the species captures small arthropods on the wing and sometimes by gleaning from foliage.<p>The fiery-throated hummingbird's breeding season in Costa Rica spans from August to January. The female is entirely responsible for nest building and incubation. She lays two white eggs in a bulky cup nest of plant fibers whose outside is covered with moss and lichen. The nest is typically placed 2 to 4 m (7 to 10 ft) high at the end of a descending bamboo stem or on a rootlet under a bank. The incubation length and time to fledging have not been documented.<p>The fiery-throated hummingbird does not appear to have a true song. One call is "a repeated nasal, squeaky 'kek...kek...', given in [a] fast series". Another is "a complex fast liquid twittering with sudden squeaky rises in pitch”.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Yellow-headed Amazon
Amazona oratrix
Scarce and local large green parrot of tropical lowland savannas and semiopen areas with forest patches and big trees (but often seen in cages). Like many parrots, usually seen in pairs, not mixing with other species. The head of Mexican birds has extensive yellow (less so on immatures) and the bill is pale. Birds in Belize and Honduras have less yellow on the head. This species is often trapped for the pet trade, which means it has been eliminated from much of its historic range.
Rufous-rumped Antwren
Euchrepomis callinota
Colorful for an antwren, and therefore might be difficult to place into the correct family at first. Small. The distinctive rufous rump can be hard to see, so note black cap, gray head, olive back, yellow wingbars, and yellow belly. Bill is quite long and narrow. Female is similar to male but slightly duller. Typically found in pairs. Follows mixed-species flocks through the forest, usually fairly high in the canopy.
Plain-breasted Ground Dove
Columbina minuta
Small, inconspicuous dove of savannas and open grassland with scattered low bushes and palmettos; also found locally in cane fields and pastures. Usually found in pairs or small groups, sometimes associating with other ground doves. Both sexes are rather plain overall, with diagnostic purple marks on the back, although the color is often hard to see. The female can be easily confused with the much commoner Ruddy Ground Dove, which also has a plain breast, but the Ruddy Ground Dove is larger and warmer brown overall; also note vocal differences.
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