Costa Rican Hummingbird (1 Viewer)

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Andrew S

Kentish Mother

• Apr 19, 2004

• #1

Can anyone help me with this bird?

Taken in Costa Rica Jan 1999, high up on Cerro de la Muerte.

Have been through the Stiles and Skutch book several times, but can't match it to anything. Nearest match seems to be Volcano Hummingbird (which is apparently common in that area), but the white on the side of the neck does not match.

Light not good, but there is a hint of purple in the throat.

Also, anyone know what the rather attractive flower is?

Thanks all.

Andrew

 

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Charles Harper

Régisseur

• Apr 19, 2004

• #2

With that graduated gorget, white outer tail tips, at least part of the tail brown-- shouldn't be that hard, but...

Closest I can get to it is Bumblebee or Wine-throated, Atthis heloisa or ellioti, except... bill looks too long... but then the Volcano's bill looks shorter in Ridgely too... and I don't know the ranges of the two Atthis....

 

david kelly

Drive-by Birder

• Apr 19, 2004

• #3

I'd have to go for Volcano Hummingbird, Stiles & Skutch's description seems to fit this bird.

 

A

Andrew S

Kentish Mother

• Apr 20, 2004

• #4

Thanks all.

Think it is VH - I think what was fooling me is that the pointy bit of the purple throat is composed of longer feathers that are free to move over the white feathers, so the shape of the white bit depends upon the head position. In S&S there is no white showing above the purple.

Here is another pic (not mine!) from the internet, on which I think this is a little clearer:

http://comp.uark.edu/~rdoster/Volcano.JPG

Andrew

 

TonyC

Well-known member

• Apr 20, 2004

• #5

There's a picture on my web page of a Volcano Hummingbird at Savegre Lodge.
Mine is a juvenile I think, as the gorget hasn't developed yet

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tony.coatsworth/images/costapix.htm

 

cuckooroller

Registered User

• Apr 20, 2004

• #6

TonyC said:

There's a picture on my web page of a Volcano Hummingbird at Savegre Lodge.
Mine is a juvenile I think, as the gorget hasn't developed yet

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tony.coatsworth/images/costapix.htm

Click to expand...

Hi Tony,

I took a look and yours looks like the adult female.