Black-bellied Hummingbird
Eupherusa nigriventris
Distinctive small hummingbird. Male has mostly black body and bright white outer tail feathers, a combination unlike any other hummingbird species. Female is mostly whitish below instead of black, and resembles female Stripe-tailed Hummingbird; look for extensive white in her tail and small rufous wing patch. Limited range, found in montane forests and edges. Visits feeders and gardens.
Identification
The black-bellied hummingbird is 7 to 8 cm (2.8 to 3.1 in) long and weighs about 3.0 to 3.5 g (0.11 to 0.12 oz). Males have a black breast and belly that provide the species' English name; their forehead and face are also black. The sides of the breast are green and the undertail coverts white. They have mostly bronze green upperparts with narrow black edges on the crown feathers and dull bronze uppertail coverts. Their central tail feathers are dull black with a bronze gloss and the outer ones white. The female has grayish white underparts with white undertail coverts. It has metallic bronze green upperparts that are more bronze on the uppertail coverts. Both sexes molt after breeding but males do so one to two months before the female.
Taxonomy
The black-bellied hummingbird is monotypic. It and the stripe-tailed hummingbird (E. eximia) are sister species.
- Scientific name
- Eupherusa nigriventris
- Authority
- Lawrence, 1868
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Eupherusa
Range and habitat
The black-bellied hummingbird is found through Costa Rica into western Panama, mostly on the Caribbean slope. It inhabits the edges and interior of humid montane forest at elevations between about 600 and 2,000 m (2,000 and 6,600 ft).
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
The black-bellied hummingbird is mostly a year-round resident, but some move to the lower elevations after breeding.<p>Male black-bellied hummingbirds typically forage for nectar in the forest canopy and females more often do so in the understory and at edges. Males sometimes defend flowering trees even when larger hummingbird species are present. The species' nectar sources include Inga and Pithecellobium trees; epiphytes (Ericaceae, Columnea, Elleanthus, and Norantea); and understory Psychotria, Witheringia, and Besleria.In one study it demonstrated greater interest in short flower types than long. In addition to nectar, the species also feeds on small arthropods.<p>The black-bellied hummingbird's breeding season in Cost Rica is mostly from October to March but may start as early as July. It tends to breed in synchrony with the flowering of canopy epiphytes and some other plants. Females make a cup nest of tree fern scales bound with spiderweb with some moss and lichen on the outside. It is typically placed 2 to 4 m (7 to 10 ft) above the ground, often under a large overhanging leaf. The clutch size is two eggs; the incubation period and time to fledging are not known.<p>The black-bellied hummingbird's song is "a high, thin, sputtering warble", typically given from perches at the edge of gaps in the forest. Its calls include "a sharp, high-pitched tseep or peet" and "a high, tsittering in chases".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Violet-throated Metaltail
Metallura baroni
High-elevation hummingbird endemic to the Andes of southern Ecuador. Plumage is mostly green with a purple throat, and tail is blue on top and greenish underneath. Bill is short and straight. Female has underparts scaled with gray or buff. Compared to the common and widespread Tyrian Metaltail, Violet-throated lacks a rusty tail and has a purple (not green or buffy) throat. Inhabits montane scrub and edge of stunted forest. Most sightings come from in and around Cajas National Park.
Oriental Cuckooshrike
Coracina javensis
A large gray cuckooshrike with a strong, hooked bill. Upperparts are mostly gray with black primaries; male darker than female. Rump and upper tail are paler than back, which is apparent in flight. Male has gray throat and upper breast becoming paler on the belly. Female generally has paler underparts with faint gray bars except from the lower belly to the tail. Both sexes have a dark patch from the bill to slightly behind the eye, giving a masked impression. Juvenile is brownish, heavily scaled with whitish-buff, and mottled on the underparts. Immature has broader white edges to wing feathers. Vocal. Call is a two-noted, rather nasal “gii-yaak,” uttered in flight as well as from a perch. Inhabits lightly wooded country, avoiding wet forests.
Van Dam's Vanga
Xenopirostris damii
Large, big-billed vanga with white underparts. Males have a black hood, and females only a black cap. Rare Madagascar endemic that is found very locally in dry deciduous forest in the north and northwest. Can be found solo or in pairs, sometimes in flocks with other vangas. Most common vocalizations are long, penetrating whistles and a short scold. Separated from Lafresnaye’s and Pollen’s Vangas by range. Separated from Madagascar Cuckooshrike by much larger bill and white rather than gray underparts.
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