Little Hermit
Phaethornis longuemareus
Tiny, mostly warm brown hummingbird. Note distinctive curved bill; long, white central tail feathers; and dark brown throat. Found in understory of swampy forest, including second growth and abandoned plantations, primarily in coastal areas. Forages on nectar, visiting widely-spaced food sources and often seen flying between them in low, direct flight, giving a characteristic plaintive squeak. At close range, often detected by loud and erratic wing noise, like a large bee, as it weaves among understory plants. May pause briefly to investigate people. Males sing from low perches; song is a series of high, slurred notes with a distinctive pattern. Most similar to Reddish Hermit, but Little is much less rufous, lacks a black breast band, and is generally restricted to coastal swamp forests.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Phaethornis longuemareus
- Authority
- (Lesson, RP, 1832)
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Phaethornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Quiscalus nicaraguensis
Long-tailed blackbird, very similar to Great-tailed Grackle but smaller. Male is darker black with less obvious glossiness (but still some, usually greenish); female is very similar to female Great-tailed but paler below. Extremely limited range in the vicinity of Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua, where small flocks can be found in open grasslands and wetlands.
Cream-colored Courser
Cursorius cursor
Distinctive wader of desert areas, uniform sandy-brown with a blue back of head framed by a white and black stripe meeting at the nape. Bill is slightly down-curved. Very tall and slim with long legs that it uses to run across desert and semi-desert areas with its head held high. Dramatically patterned in flight with black flight feathers and underwings contrasting with its sandy body.
Oak Titmouse
Baeolophus inornatus
Completely nondescript: all gray-brown without any sort of color pattern. Still cute and personable, often in small family groups bustling through their namesake oak trees (though they occasionally stray into other species of trees). Visits feeders. Extremely similar to Juniper Titmouse, but separated by range.
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