Collared Sunbird
Hedydipna collaris
A tiny, short-billed sunbird with a metallic-green back and a yellow belly. The male has a green throat and a narrow purplish breast band; the female is duller, with a yellow throat and no breast band. Pairs frequent forest edge, woodland, and savanna, where they join mixed-species flocks to glean leaves and hover to catch insect prey. But they will also feed on fruit and nectar, often by piercing the base of a flower and sucking out nectar without pollinating. The “yellow-bellied” races of Variable Sunbird differ from Collared Sunbird by being larger, with a longer bill and broader purple-blue breast band.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Hedydipna collaris
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1819)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Nectariniidae
- Genus
- Hedydipna
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Elf Owl
Micrathene whitneyi
One of the smallest owls in the world, about the size of a sparrow. Patterned with rufous, gray, and white. Most similar in plumage to Flammulated Owl, but note the Elf Owl's white eyebrows, yellow eyes, tiny size, and habitat. Found in brushy woodlands and surrounding desert, where they nest in natural cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes in trees and cacti. Nocturnal; most easily found by listening for call around dusk: a descending whiny chuckle or single mewing note. Migrates south to Mexico for the winter.
Ochre-breasted Pipit
Anthus nattereri
Fairly distinctive for a pipit: blackish-brown above, including the wings, with bright golden feather edgings giving it a boldly streaked appearance. The chest and flanks are buff and lightly streaked. Look for the buffy-yellow eyebrow. Mostly encountered in well-preserved natural grasslands, favoring short grass areas that have regenerated after fires. Gives a series of sharp twittering notes ending with a slurred “eeeeeeeur.”
Crimson Topaz
Topaza pella
Large, distinctive hummingbird. Superb male is mostly red and essentially unmistakable; female best told by large size and mostly green plumage with orange outer tail feathers. Found in lowland forest, usually along blackwater creeks in forests with sandy soils. Nests on low vegetation overhanging water. Very noisy and aggressive in territorial defense; loud, smacking calls are often heard before the birds are seen.
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