White-throated Mountain-gem
Lampornis castaneoventris
Medium-sized hummingbird, male mostly green with bold white throat, white line behind eye, and blue crown. Gray tail in the western parts of range, blue in the east. Female not quite as colorful but still striking: bright buffy underparts with black cheek and white line behind eye. She is very similar to female Purple-throated Mountain-gem but has duller bronzy tail; only safely identified with a good view. A forest hummingbird that also comes out to edges and gardens, visits feeders.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lampornis castaneoventris
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Lampornis
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Western Striolated-Puffbird
Nystalus obamai
Chunky, bull-headed puffbird of lowland and foothill rainforest east of the Andes to far western Brazil. Underparts are pale with dark, vertical streaks. Also note stout, yellowish bill, and brown cap and back. Very similar to Eastern Striolated-Puffbird (limited overlap in Brazil and possibly Bolivia), but has thicker streaks on underparts. Singles or pairs perch motionless for long periods high in the canopy; usually heard before seen. Typical song is a whistled “wip wip-whirrr?, whurrrr”, with the other member of the pair responding at slightly different pitch.
Three-banded Warbler
Basileuterus trifasciatus
Small warbler with a restricted range in the Andes of northwestern Peru and southwestern Ecuador. It is yellow with a grayish head boldly marked with dark stripes. It lacks the black crown stripe and white “headlights” of Gray-and-gold Warbler. Compared to Three-striped Warbler (little or no overlap), it is grayer on the head and neck, lacks yellow in the crown, and shows slightly paler and less extensive facial markings. Inhabits both dry and humid forest, where it actively flits around in the branches.
Eastern Cattle-Egret
Ardea coromanda
Small, compact white heron with relatively short yellow bill. More often seen in dry habitats than other egrets, but also frequent in rice paddies and shallow wetlands. In the breeding season, look for bright orange head and breast, as well as a brighter bill. Leg color varies from reddish or yellow during the breeding season to black during the nonbreeding season. Juveniles have dark bill. Always note relatively short, thick neck and short legs compared with other egrets. Often gathers in flocks, frequently following large animals and field machinery.
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