Azure-crowned Hummingbird
Saucerottia cyanocephala
Medium-sized hummingbird of oak and pine-oak woodlands and adjacent shrubby clearings; also local in lowland pine savannas. Sexes look alike and often look rather dull overall, despite the name. Note the whitish throat and breast offset by a dusky vest, and the dusky brownish rump and tail. Crown and sides of head are blue (rarely catching the light), with a white spot behind the eye and some red at base of bill.
Identification
The azure-crowned hummingbird is 10 to 11.5 cm (3.9 to 4.5 in) long. Males weigh an average of about 5.8 g (0.20 oz) and females average about 5.4 g (0.19 oz). The bills of both sexes of both subspecies have a black maxilla and a dull pink mandible with a black outer third. Within a subspecies the sexes are almost alike. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a bright metallic blue crown and females a duller blue to greenish blue crown. Both sexes have metallic bronze nape and back. They have greenish bronze to bronze green rump, uppertail coverts, and tail. Their face is mostly bluish green. Their underparts from chin to vent are white with metallic bronze green sides to the breast and duller bronze green flanks. Immatures are similar to the adults but duller, and with grayish buff tips to the uppertail coverts, whitish tips on the outer tail feathers, and a buff wash to the underparts. Subspecies S. c. chlorostephana is somewhat smaller than the nominate. Its plumage is essentially the same as that of the nominate but with a glittering green instead of metallic blue crown.
Taxonomy
The azure-crowned hummingbird was originally described as Ornismya cyanocephalus and later moved into genus Amazilia. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that Amazilia was polyphyletic. In the revised classification to create monophyletic genera, the azure-crowned hummingbird was moved by most taxonomic systems to the resurrected genus Saucerottia. However, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World retains it in Amazilia.<p>The azure-crowned hummingbird has two subspecies, the nominate S. c. cyanocephala (Lesson, 1829) and S. c. chlorostephana (Howell, 1965).
- Scientific name
- Saucerottia cyanocephala
- Authority
- (Lesson, RP, 1830)
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Saucerottia
Range and habitat
The nominate subspecies of azure-crowned hummingbird is found from the Mexican state of Tamaulipas south through Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador into north central Nicaragua. It inhabits the edges of humid evergreen forest, oak and pine-oak forest, scrublands, and secondary forest. In elevation it ranges between 600 and 2,400 m (2,000 and 7,900 ft). Subspecies S. c. chlorostephana's range is disjunct, on the Mosquito Coast of eastern Honduras and northeastern Nicaragua. This subspecies primarily inhabits pine savanna at low elevation.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The azure-crowned hummingbird is mostly sedentary but might make some local seasonal movements.<p>The azure-crowned hummingbird forages for nectar from the understory to the forest canopy, but details of its diet are lacking. It forages both by trap-lining and defending feeding territories. In the pine savanna it has been noted hovering at clusters of needles and bark crevices, but it is not known if it was hunting arthropods or visiting the flowers of epiphytes.<p>The azure-crowned hummingbird's breeding season varies geographically but overall appears to span at least from February to July. It makes a cup nest that apparently varies in materials depending on what is locally available. It is usually placed in a branch fork or "saddled" over a branch, but in urban areas some have been noted on utility wires.<p>One vocalization of the azure-crowned hummingbird is "a low, fairly hard, buzzy dzzzrt" that is given in flight and perched; when perched it might be "repeated steadily". It also makes a "fairly mellow, strong chipping [that] at times run into a trill or rattle." The vocalizations of isolated subspecies S. c. chlorostephana might be different but have not been separately described.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red-stained Woodpecker
Dryobates affinis
Small brown woodpecker of lowland rainforest. Upperparts olive brown with small red spots (“stains”) on the shoulder (but these may be hard to see). Males have a red crown and nape. Found in a variety of humid forest habitats, including mature rainforest, secondary rainforest, and forest edges. Distinguished from the similar Little Woodpecker by its larger size, plainer face, and small red wing spots, as well as by voice; also, female has yellowish nape (gray in female Little). Red-stained also occurs in more mature forest habitats than Little, like mature rainforest and tall secondary growth (Little prefers dense riverside vegetation and successional growth). Call a fast series of high raptor-like yelps: “keer, keer, keer, …”, individual notes clearer and more descending than those of Little Woodpecker.
Red-faced Crombec
Sylvietta whytii
Small and virtually tailless warbler with a gray back and rufous underparts. The face is completely rufous, giving it an “open” impression. Found in a variety of savanna and woodland habitat, though mostly in Miombo in the southern part of its range. The song varies geographically: can be a soft warble or a trill. The call is a short, fast, wooden rattle. Northern and Long-billed Crombecs can look similar, but Red-faced is separated by its lack of an eye stripe.
Golden White-eye
Cleptornis marchei
A beautiful, unique, entirely yellowish white-eye. Bright golden yellow on the head with a paler eye-ring, yellowish-green wings, and a darker orange-yellow coloring below. Bill and legs pale yellow-orange. Found in understory of wooded and semi-open habitats. Song is a rambling warble that sounds like “can you see me? I can see you.” Call is a raspy “tchup.”
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.