AUTHOR
John C. Arvin
ARTISTS
Raul Andrade Sangeetha Kadur Vydhehi Kadur
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Lawrence V. Lof
MANAGING EDITOR
Seth Patterson
CONTENT EDITORS
Tiffany Anderson Dr. Gene Paull Rachna Vohra
DESIGN
Tiffany Anderson Seth Patterson
RESEARCH
Vinita Gowda Sangeetha Kadur Vydhehi Kadur
SCIENTIFIC REVIEW FACILITATORS
The production of this publication has spanned many years and has taken the tireless efforts of numerous individuals investing great sums of time and energy into carrying it towards completion. The board of directors and staff of Gorgas Science Foundation would like to convey our sincerest gratitude to all of you who have helped us along the way. Without you, this book wouldn’t be here today.
John Arvin John P. O’Neill Guillermo Aguilar Sandesh Kadur
© Copyright 2016 by Gorgas Science Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission of the publisher: Gorgas Science Foundation, 8435 Sabal Palm Road, Brownsville, Texas, 78521, USA - www.gorgassciencefoundation.org First Edition, 2016 ISBN 978-1-61584-514-9 Printed by Pragati Offset Pvt Ltd. Published in collaboration with
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TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD by John P. O'Neill ................................................................ 8 PREFACE by Lawrence V. Lof ..................................................................... 10 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 12
Phaethornithinae t t t t t t t t t
White-tipped Sicklebill (Eutoxeres aquila) ........................................... Bronzy Hermit (Glaucis aeneus) ........................................................... Rufous-breasted Hermit (Glaucis hirsutus) .......................................... Pale-bellied Hermit (Phaethornis anthophilus) ..................................... Long-billed Hermit (Phaethornis longirostris) ....................................... Green Hermit (Phaethornis guy) ........................................................... Little Hermit (Phaethornis longuemareus) ............................................. Stripe-throated Hermit (Phaethornis striigularis) ................................. Band-tailed Barbthroat (Threnetes ruckeri) ..........................................
16 18 18 20 20 22 24 24 26
Topazinae t White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) ........................................ 28 Trochilinae t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t
Emerald-chinned Hummingbird (Abeillia abeillei) ............................. Blue-chested Hummingbird (Amazilia amabilis) ................................ Berylline Hummingbird (Amazilia beryllina) ..................................... Copper-rumped Hummingbird (Amazilia tobaci) .............................. Mangrove Hummingbird (Amazilia boucardi) ..................................... Honduran Emerald (Amazilia luciae) ................................................. White-chested Emerald (Amazilia brevirostris) .................................... White-bellied Emerald (Amazilia candida) ......................................... Azure-crowned Hummingbird (Amazilia cyanocephala) ..................... Blue-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia cyanura) .................................... Snowy-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia edward) ................................ Steely-vented Hummingbird (Amazilia saucerottei) ............................ Charming Hummingbird (Amazilia decora) ....................................... Cinnamon Hummingbird (Amazilia rutila) ....................................... Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) ................................. Violet-crowned Hummingbird (Amazilia violiceps) ............................ Green-fronted Hummingbird (Amazilia viridifrons) ........................... Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis) ............................ Tooth-billed Hummingbird (Androdon aequatorialis) ......................... Antillean Mango (Anthracothorax dominicus) ...................................... Jamaican Mango (Anthracothorax mango) ........................................... Black-throated Mango (Anthracothorax nigricollis) .............................. Green-throated Mango (Anthracothorax viridigula) ............................. Green-breasted Mango (Anthracothorax prevostii) ............................... Veraguas Mango (Anthracothorax veraguensis) ...................................... Green Mango (Anthracothorax viridis) ................................................. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) .......................... Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) ........................ Wine-throated Hummingbird (Atthis ellioti) ...................................... Bumblebee Hummingbird (Atthis heloisa) .......................................... Magenta-throated Woodstar (Calliphlox bryantae) ............................. Bahama Woodstar (Calliphlox evelynae) .............................................. Purple-throated Woodstar (Calliphlox mitchellii) ............................... Lucifer Hummingbird (Calothorax lucifer) ......................................... Beautiful Hummingbird (Calothorax pulcher) .................................... Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) .................................................. Costa’s Hummingbird (Calypte costae) ................................................ Wedge-tailed Sabrewing (Campylopterus curvipennis) ......................... White-tailed Sabrewing (Campylopterus ensipennis) ............................ Long-tailed Sabrewing (Campylopterus excellens) ................................. Violet Sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) .................................. Rufous Sabrewing (Campylopterus rufus) ............................................. White-vented Plumeleteer (Chalybura buffonii) .................................. Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer (Chalybura urochrysia) .............................. Garden Emerald (Chlorostilbon assimilis) ............................................. Golden-crowned Emerald (Chlorostilbon auriceps) .............................. Cozumel Emerald (Chlorostilbon forficatus) ......................................... Canivet’s Emerald (Chlorostilbon canivetii) .......................................... Puerto Rican Emerald (Chlorostilbon maugaeus) ................................. Blue-tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon mellisugus) .................................... Blue-chinned Sapphire (Chlorostilbon notatus) ...................................
30 32 34 34 36 36 38 38 40 42 42 42 44 46 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 60 62 62 64 66 66 68 68 70 70 72 74 74 76 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 88 90 92 92 94 96 98 100
t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t
Cuban Emerald (Chlorostilbon ricordii) ............................................... Hispaniolan Emerald (Chlorostilbon swainsonii) ................................. Ruby Topaz (Chrysolampis mosquitus) .................................................. Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) .................................................... Green Violetear (Colibri thalassinus) .................................................... Blue-headed Hummingbird (Cyanophaia bicolor) ............................... Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) ............................. Dusky Hummingbird (Cynanthus sordidus) ........................................ Violet-bellied Hummingbird (Juliamyia julie) .................................... Green Thorntail (Discosura conversii) .................................................. Mexican Sheartail (Doricha eliza) ....................................................... Slender Sheartail (Doricha enicura) ..................................................... Green-fronted Lancebill (Doryfera ludovicae) ..................................... White-tailed Emerald (Elvira chionura) .............................................. Coppery-headed Emerald (Elvira cupreiceps) ...................................... Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) ..................................... Green-throated Carib (Eulampis holosericeus) ...................................... Purple-throated Carib (Eulampis jugularis) ......................................... Blue-capped Hummingbird (Eupherusa cyanophrys) ........................... White-tailed Hummingbird (Eupherusa poliocerca) ............................ Stripe-tailed Hummingbird (Eupherusa eximia) ................................. Black-bellied Hummingbird (Eupherusa nigriventris) ......................... Pirre Hummingbird (Goethalsia bella) ................................................ Violet-capped Hummingbird (Goldmania violiceps) ........................... Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula) ........................................ Plain-capped Starthroat (Heliomaster constantii) ................................ Long-billed Starthroat (Heliomaster longirostris) ................................. Purple-crowned Fairy (Heliothryx barroti) .......................................... Blue-throated Goldentail (Hylocharis eliciae) ...................................... White-eared Hummingbird (Basilinna leucotis) .................................. Xantus’s Hummingbird (Hylocharis xantusii) ...................................... Violet-headed Hummingbird (Klais guimeti) ..................................... Amethyst-throated Hummingbird (Lampornis amethystinus) ............. Blue-throated Hummingbird (Lampornis clemenciae) ......................... Purple-throated Mountain-Gem (Lampornis calolaemus) ................... White-throated Mountain-Gem (Lampornis castaneoventris) .............. White-bellied Mountain-Gem (Lampornis hemileucus) ....................... Green-throated Mountain-Gem (Lampornis viridipallens) .................. Green-breasted Mountain-Gem (Lampornis sybillae) .......................... Garnet-throated Hummingbird (Lamprolaima rhami) ....................... Sapphire-throated Hummingbird (Lepidopyga coeruleogularis) ............. White-crested Coquette (Lophornis adorabilis) .................................... Black-crested Coquette (Lophornis helenae) ........................................ Short-crested Coquette (Lophornis brachylophus) ................................ Rufous-crested Coquette (Lophornis delattrei) .................................... Tufted Coquette (Lophornis ornatus) ................................................... Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) ................................................ Vervain Hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) ........................................ Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata) ...................................................... Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus) .................. Fiery-throated Hummingbird (Panterpe insignis) ............................... White-tailed Goldenthroat (Polytmus guainumbi) .............................. Scaly-breasted Hummingbird (Campylopterus cuvierii) ...................... Glow-throated Hummingbird (Selasphorus ardens) ............................. Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla) ................................. Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) ..................................... Volcano Hummingbird (Selasphorus flammula) ................................... Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) .......................... Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) ........................................... Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) ............................................. Violet-crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania colombica) ......................... Green-crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania fannyi) .............................. Mexican Woodnymph (Thalurania ridgwayi) ...................................... Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird (Tilmatura dupontii) ........................ Red-billed Streamertail (Trochilus polytmus) ....................................... Black-billed Streamertail (Trochilus scitulus) .......................................
102 104 106 108 108 110 112 114 116 118 120 120 122 124 124 126 128 130 132 132 134 136 138 140 142 144 146 148 150 152 152 154 156 156 158 158 160 160 162 164 166 168 168 170 172 174 176 178 180 182 184 186 188 190 190 192 194 196 198 198 200 200 202 204 206 208
INDEX ...................................................................................................... 210 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................... 212 ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ARTISTS ................................................ 215 ABOUT GORGAS SCIENCE FOUNDATION ...................................... 216
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THE HUMMINGBIRDS Family Trochilidae Taxonomy and Special Adaptations Of all the families of birds, no one family has quite caught the attention of the casual observer more so than the hummingbirds. Very few people who do not have a special interest in birds know one bird family from another, or even the names of common species they see daily in their immediate surroundings, yet they can easily tell whether or not a particular bird is a hummingbird. Despite the fact that there are some 330 species of hummingbirds, all confined to the New World, all hummingbirds share certain characteristics that make them easily recognizable. Moreover, hummingbirds are universally admired, which is a quality not shared by any other group of organisms (Schuchmann, 1999). The bird family to which hummingbirds belong is Trochilidae. Trochilidae, the hummingbirds, with Apodidae, the swifts, and Hemiprocnidae, the treeswifts, make up the order Apodiformes (literally “without feet”), so named because the feet of these birds are very small and inconspicuous. Trochilidae is the second largest bird family in the New World and, indeed, the World as a whole. Only Tyrannidae, the Tyrant Flycatchers, is larger, with about 370 species. Both of these families are found solely in the Western Hemisphere and both reach their peak diversity in tropical South America. Within the family Trochilidae, there are three groups, called subfamilies: the topazes and jacobins (Topazinae), of which there are only four species; the hermits (Phaethornithinae), with 35 species; and the typical hummingbirds (Trochilinae), with about 290 species for a total of about 330 species. The exact number of living species is subject to a bit of uncertainty due to differences in opinion of ornithologists as to the relationships of some forms, and to the status of a number of species that are known from only a single specimen. Some of these single examples may belong to species already extinct, some may be aberrant individuals of known species, and others may be hybrids. Hybridization is relatively common in hummingbirds compared to other families of birds. Hummingbirds range from small to tiny, a few species weighing as little as 1.5 g, or about the weight of a paper clip. The largest, the Giant Hummingbird, averages about 20 g, the weight of a small songbird, and is swift-like on the wing due to the relatively slow wing beats. When hovering, these are visible to the human eye, not the usual blur of the high-speed wing beats of other hummers. The four species that make up the topaz group, Crimson and Fiery Topaz and White-necked and Black Jacobin, are relatively large hummingbirds and look superficially like typical hummingbirds, but are anatomically distinct from them and have different vocal habits. The hermits are a very homogeneous group, being generally dull-colored birds of forest understory with very little of the iridescent plumage characteristic of most hummers. The sexes of hermits are very similar in appearance. They have long, often decurved bills and strongly wedge-shaped tails with the central feathers often elongated, especially in the large genus Phaethornis. Male hermits gather in traditional breeding display areas called “leks” where they sing and display to attract females. The male spreads the tail broadly and pumps it up and down while singing the simple high-pitched and scratchy song with the bill spread widely open to expose the yellow or red interior of the mouth. Hermits feed mostly in the forest understory at widely scattered nectar sources using a predetermined route. This strategy is known as “traplining,” after the pattern that fur trappers use to check their traps. The great majority of hummingbirds are in the subfamily Trochilinae and exhibit the characteristics we associate with “typical” hummingbirds. Most of the typical hummingbirds have marked differences between the plumage of males and females. Males are characterized by intensely colorful iridescent plumage and, in some species, elaborate ornamentation of feathers in the gorget, crest, facial area, and tail. Females are much plainer. The dull plumage of females renders them much less conspicuous, which provides a measure of protection against predators for themselves and their offspring.
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nation on the other. It has been estimated that in order to meet their daily energy requirements, hummingbirds must visit 1000-2000 flowers per day (Schuchmann, op. cit.). Their diet dictates that they spend the entire year in areas where the climate allows flowering plants to flourish year round. This means that most hummingbirds are found in tropical regions of the Americas, including the Caribbean Islands, South and Middle America, and temperate regions of both North and South America from which they must migrate during the season when flowers are not available. True migration occurs in the relatively few species that inhabit temperate areas of North and northern Middle America and the southern temperate zone of South America. The local distribution of “sedentary” hummers within tropical regions can vary seasonally with the availability of flowering plants, but these are relatively short-distance movements and not true migrations. Long-distance migration has very high energy demands. Hummingbirds that participate in these long-distance movements store energy in the form of fat. The most celebrated hummingbird migrant is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which breeds in the eastern US and southern Canada and spends its winters in Central America. In the spring, it migrates north across the Gulf of Mexico in a single flight. A “lean” Ruby-throated weighs about two grams. A bird with a “full tank of fuel” and ready for a Gulf crossing will weigh in the neighborhood of 6 grams – more than doubling the body weight. In the spring, newly arrived migrants on the northern Gulf of Mexico will have used almost all of the fat load in the over-water crossing. In the fall, Ruby-throateds primarily migrate southwestward around the Gulf, taking advantage of the abundance of late summer flowers.
Geographic Range Maps Range maps for each species of hummingbird have been compiled by BirdLife International and NatureServe from a wide range of published and unpublished data. These maps depict the known geographical ranges for which each species occurs. They also reflect the seasonal variances in the distribution of some species as they migrate between their breeding and wintering grounds. Within each region, species occurrences are dependent on appropriate environments and often vary in population densities.
Range and Diversity Not surprisingly, hummingbirds are most diverse in the Neotropics along the Equator. What may be more surprising is that the greatest diversity is found in the cool highlands of the tropical Andes rather than in lowland humid forest. Despite the cold temperatures at night, at high elevations, the Andes are relatively much richer in flowering shrubs and herbs than are the Amazonian rainforests. Hummingbirds are able to go into period of torpor (a state of reduced metabolism resembling sleep that conserves energy reserves) at night and during daytime bad weather. The species diversity decreases both northward and southward from the Equator, from an excess of two hundred species at the Equator where it bisects the Andes and Amazonia, to one or two species in the temperate zones of Canada and Alaska in the north, and in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego on the southern extreme. Hummingbirds inhabit almost every type of habitat within the nearly 9000 km north-south range of the family. Tropical forests from the dark understory to topmost canopy, montane coniferous forests, savannas, deserts and arid scrub, cold alpine páramo above timberline, and tropical oceanic islands are some of the diverse habitats that hummingbirds occupy. The highest density and diversity is often the lower subtropical and upper tropical transition zone in the moist-to-wet tropical Andean forests. Within this narrow zone up to 25 or 30 species of hummingbirds may occur.
Range Map Legend: Native (breeding) Native (resident) Native (non-breeding)
BirdLife International and NatureServe Bird species distribution maps of the world. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK and NatureServe, Arlington, USA.
Other Behavior Hummingbirds are very vocal, but most of the vocalizations are very high-pitched and unmusical to the human ear, if indeed they can be heard at all by most people. Most hummingbird vocalizations are associated with attracting females, whether at singing “leks,” where a dozen or more males of a given species gather to sing and display, or singly from a perch within the territory of the male. Other vocalizations are given while foraging and in chases during territorial defense. Most hummingbird species that do not use the “trap-line” strategy of foraging vigorously defend food sources against other hummers, regardless
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White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora
The White-necked Jacobin is widespread and well-known throughout its range in Central and South America. It is found from southeastern Mexico on the Gulf and Caribbean slopes from southern Veracruz and northern Oaxaca through Chiapas, northern Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, both slopes of Costa Rica, and Panama in North America. It also has an extensive South American distribution, on the Pacific slope west of the Andes in Colombia and northwestern Ecuador, and east of the Andes in northern Colombia and Venezuela southward to include most of Amazonian Ecuador, and Peru to northern Bolivia and eastward through the Guianas and Amazonian Brazil. The White-necked Jacobin is found in a variety of habitats within its vast range, including humid lowland and foothill (to 1300 m) forest canopy and alterations of this forest type, e.g. shade coffee and cacao plantations, gallery forest, and semi-open country with scattered tall trees. It feeds in the canopy on flowering trees and vines such as Inga, Erythrina, and Bauhina. It also “helicopters” at canopy level, hovering and making short sallies after small flying insects. The male White-necked Jacobin is very boldly marked with snowwhite contrasting with dark, shining blue. It is “hooded” with the dark blue – the entire head and breast being that color. There is a white crescent across the nape, which gives the species its name and divides the blue hood from the green upperparts, including the central tail feathers. The outer pairs of tail feathers are pure white. The underparts are also white with green flanks. The bill is medium-length, relatively stout, and slightly decurved. Females are green above, including on the crown. The tail is bluish with a dark subterminal band. The throat and breast are whitish with black scalloping. The undertail coverts have a ladder-like pattern of whitish with black barring. The vast range and adaptability to various habitat types allows the White-necked Jacobin to be ranked Least Concern by the IUCN.
Plant: Erythrina fusca Artist: Sangeetha Kadur
Florisuga mellivora
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Emerald-chinned Hummingbird Abeillia abeillei
The Emerald-chinned Hummingbird is a very small hummer rather similar to the Violet-headed Hummingbird in its habits, if not in appearance. It is found from southeastern Mexico to northern Central America (mountains of Veracruz, eastern Oaxaca, and Chiapas to Guatemala, western Honduras, El Salvador, and western Nicaragua). The Emerald-chin inhabits montane cloud forest and very humid pine-oak forest in an elevational spread of about 1000 - 2000 m. It feeds mostly low in the understory of the forest interior on flowering shrubs and epiphytes. The male may defend feeding territory at a rich source of nectar. No information is available about the possibility of males forming singing leks, but this seems likely. Males live up to the name “Emerald-chinned� with a glittering emerald gorget above a black lower throat. The crown and the rest of the upperparts, including the central tail feathers, are a rich emerald green. The outer feathers are blackish with white tipping and the tail as a whole is square. There is a conspicuous white postocular spot above a black auricular mask that joins the black throat. The underparts are greenish-gray. Females are rather plain, sharing the green upperparts and tail pattern of the male. Their underparts are quite different, however, being grayish-white with green mottling on the flanks. The white postocular spot is somewhat elongated to form more a streak than a spot. The Emerald-chinned Hummingbird is common within its restricted range and habitat. It is considered unthreatened despite local extirpation due to deforestation in parts of its range. Hence, it is ranked Least Concern by the IUCN.
Plant: Anthurium seleri Artist: Sangeetha Kadur
Abeillia abeillei
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Magenta-throated Woodstar
Bahama Woodstar
Calliphlox bryantae
Calliphlox evelynae
The Magenta-throated Woodstar is restricted to southern Central America, where it is has a distribution from Guanacaste Province in northwestern Costa Rica southward on the Pacific slope the length of the country, and in Panama in Chiriquí and Veraguas Provinces. It is found on mountain slopes from about 700 to 1900 m (Stiles and Skutch, 1989). It has a slow, bumblebee-like flight while foraging and usually flies with the tail cocked up at a 45° angle and usually closed to a point. It feeds both near the ground and in low flowering trees. It is territorial with other woodstars, but is dominated by larger hummingbirds. Males do a dive display at rich nectar sources and sometimes in groups that may be lek displays (Stiles and Skutch, op. sit.). It inhabits semi-open country, including forest edge, second growth, shrubby open terrain, and gardens near woodlands.
The Bahama Woodstar is the only woodstar to reach the West Indies. Oddly, it is found on none of the islands of the Caribbean, but rather in the more northerly Bahamas in the Atlantic, where it ranges throughout all the major islands including Great Inagua in the far south. It has been identified as a vagrant to southern Florida several times. In the Bahamas, the Bahama Woodstar occurs in almost all available habitats: pine forest, tropical coppice, open areas with scrubby vegetation, and gardens. Likewise, it feeds on a wide variety of nectar-producing plants, including flowering trees, shrubs, and vines at all levels.
Male Magenta-throated Woodstars have a metallic pinkish-purple gorget bordered by a bold white collar across the breast. The belly is green bordered with cinnamon. The black bill is rather short and straight. The crown is metallic green. There is a white postocular spot. Otherwise, the upperparts are bronzy-green, including the uppertail coverts. The central feathers of the deeply forked tail are bronzy, tipped black. The longer lateral feathers are black edged with rufous. There is a bold white spot on either side of the rump. The male is said to have an “eclipse plumage” with a grayish throat attained after breeding (Schuchmann, 1999). The female lacks the pinkish-purple gorget and the long, forked tail. The tail is slightly forked. It is rufous with a black subterminal band and buff tips. Otherwise, the upperparts are similar to those of the male. The throat is buffy with a somewhat less bold white collar. The green belly is bordered broadly with cinnamon-buff.
The male Bahama Woodstar has a relatively short, slightly decurved bill. Its gorget is iridescent purple bordered beneath by a bold white crescent on the breast. The flanks, almost meeting in the center, are dull cinnamon. The upperparts are green with a small postocular white spot. The central feathers of the deeply forked tail are green and the lateral feathers are cinnamon. Surprisingly, the male is said to molt into “eclipse” plumage in which the purple gorget becomes light gray after the breeding season (Heynen, 1999). This plumage, which appears to be limited to Calliphlox woodstars, may be unique in hummingbirds. The female is similar to the male. The postocular spot of the male is elongated into a whitish streak in the female. The lateral tail feathers are cinnamon with a broad subterminal dusky band. The female’s tail is broadly rounded. The throat and upper breast is whitish with cinnamon flanks and belly. While restricted to the Bahama islands, the Bahama Woodstar is widespread and is found in all habitats as it readily accepts human-altered environments. It is ranked Least Concern by the IUCN.
The Magenta-throated Woodstar is fairly common in its restricted range and readily accepts alterations to its habitat. It is ranked Least Concern by IUCN.
Plant: Russelia equisetiformis Artist: Raul Andrade
Calliphlox bryantae Calliphlox evelynae
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Purple-throated Woodstar Calliphlox mitchellii
The Purple-throated Woodstar is primarily a South American species. It was first found in extreme eastern Panama on the Colombian border on Cerro Pirre (Robbins et al., 1985), an extension of at least 500 km from previously known populations. It is still known from few observations in Panama. From far eastern Panama, the woodstar is known to range southward west of the Western Andes of Colombia into western Ecuador, where it is found south to Loja Province. The Purple-throated Woodstar prefers wet, mossy cloud forest at moderate elevations on the western slope of the Andes. Here, it is found inside forest, forest edge, and adjacent open areas. The Purple-throated Woodstar flies less slowly and bee-like than other Calliphlox woodstars and cocks the tail up less. It forages mainly at flowering trees (Inga, etc.) and perches high on bare branches (Ridgley and Greenfield, 2001). It readily feeds at hummingbird feeders in western Ecuador. The male Purple-throated Woodstar has a glittering violet-purple gorget and the typical white collar extending well up onto the sides of the neck. Below the collar, the underparts are green and the belly cinnamon-buff. Its bill is short and straight, and there is a white postocular spot. The crown and other upperparts are bronzy-green, with the typical white spot on either side of the rump almost forming a white band across the rump similar to that of the coquettes. The tail is forked, but is not so long and deeply forked as that of the Magenta-throated Woodstar. It is dark brown. The female is similar to the male above, except for the postocular spot, which is elongated into a whitish streak behind the eye. The central tail feathers are green, and the lateral feathers are cinnamon with a blackish subterminal band. The throat is buffy above the whitish collar. Below the collar, the breast is green and the belly cinnamon. The Purple-throated Woodstar is common with a fairly widespread range. It is ranked Least Concern by the IUCN.
Plant: Inga edulis Artist: Sangeetha Kadur
Calliphlox mitchellii
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Violet-crowned Woodnymph
Green-crowned Woodnymph
Thalurania colombica
Thalurania fannyi
The Violet-crowned Woodnymph is a relatively widespread forest-based race of the Green-crowned Woodnymph of Central and northern South America. It, along with the Green-crowned Woodnymph, has been known simply as Crowned Woodnymph by many authors in the past. The Violet-crowned race has a geographic distribution on the Caribbean slope of Central America from southern Belize, eastern Guatemala and northern Honduras, and Nicaragua to Costa Rica. It is found on the Caribbean slope and the Pacific slope of southern Costa Rica and Panama and, in South America, northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. The Violet-crowned Woodnymph is a subspecies (in the split sense) of lowland and foothill humid forest and forest edge, and shade coffee and cacao plantations. According to Stiles and Skutch (1989), there appears to be some resource segregation between males and females in the breeding season, with the males foraging more in the canopy and females in the understory. In non-breeding situations, both sexes feed in the understory, especially on Heliconia and shrubs like “hot lips” (Cephaelis).
The Green-crowned Woodnymph has been considered conspecific with the Violet-crowned Woodnymph in the past, and the complex was known as Crowned Woodnymph. It has only been in the past few months that the two races, or subspecies, have been lumped under the name Violet-crowned Woodnymph. The present race is a “Chocó endemic”; that is, its range is coterminous with the Chocó area of endemism, which includes eastern Panama and Colombia and Ecuador west of the Andes. It is a species of humid-to-wet lowland and foothill (to about 1500 m, personal observation) forest. It is found in humid forest interior and forest edge. It can tolerate some disturbance to its forest base, such as shade coffee plantations, as long as forest remains nearby. It does not enter open areas without some canopy cover. It feeds on epiphytes (bromeliads, ericaceous shrubs, etc.) and understory shrubs and small trees like Cephaelis, Inga, and Palicouria. Males are territorial at rich nectar sources.
The male Violet-crowned Woodnymph is a beautiful bird. As its name implies, the forehead and crown are violet, as are the shoulders and upper back. The rest of the upperparts are bluish-green. The tail is blue-black and deeply forked. The violet of the upper back extends onto the breast and belly. The throat is glittering green, and the bill is medium length and straight. The female is bronzy-green above and has a green-based tail with a bluish subterminal band and white-tipped outer tail feathers. The tail is notched. The female’s throat and upper breast are grayish-white, becoming gray on the belly. The Violet-crowned Woodnymph is fairly widespread and common. It can tolerate a certain amount of man’s alteration of the environment but not total deforestation. It is rated Least Concern by the IUCN.
The male Green-crowned Woodnymphs have a glittering green crown (some with a few violet feathers toward the rear) and a bronzy-green nape. A narrow zone of violet-blue separates the nape from the rest of the back, which, along with the shoulders, is green. The tale is blue-black and deeply forked. The throat is glittering emerald green. The chest and belly are rich violet. The bill is medium length and straight. The female Green-crowned Woodnymphs are bronzy-green on the crown and nape and green on the back. The blue-black tail is more shallowly forked than that of the male, and the feathers have small white tips. The throat and breast are grayish-white, shading to grayish-green on the flanks and belly. A large amount of the Chocó region has been deforested, especially in western Ecuador. Nevertheless, for the moment, the Green-crowned Woodnymph is not considered threatened and is rated Least Concern by the IUCN.
Plant: Aphelandra sinclairiana Artist: Sangeetha Kadur
Thalurania colombica Thalurania fannyi Thalurania f. hypochlora
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INDEX OF COMMON NAMES
A Allen’s Hummingbird, 198 Amethyst-throated Hummingbird, 156 Anna’s Hummingbird, 76 Antillean Crested Hummingbird, 182 Antillean Mango, 56, 64 Azure-crowned Hummingbird, 40
B Bahama Woodstar, 70 Band-tailed Barbthroat, 26 Beautiful Hummingbird, 74 Bee Hummingbird, 176, 178 Berylline Hummingbird, 34 Black-bellied Hummingbird, 136 Black-billed Streamertail, 206, 208 Black-chinned Hummingbird, 66 Black-crested Coquette, 168 Black-throated Mango, 60, 62 Blue-capped Hummingbird, 132 Blue-chested Hummingbird, 32, 44 Blue-chinned Sapphire, 100 Blue-headed Hummingbird, 110 Blue-tailed Emerald, 98 Blue-tailed Hummingbird, 42 Blue-throated Goldentail, 150 Blue-throated Hummingbird, 126, 156 Broad-billed Hummingbird, 112, 114 Broad-tailed Hummingbird, 196 Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, 88 Bronzy Hermit, 18 Brown Violetear, 108 Buff-bellied Hummingbird, 34, 46, 52 Bumblebee Hummingbird, 68, 178
C Calliope Hummingbird, 192 Canivet’s Emerald, 92, 94 Charming Hummingbird, 32, 44 Cinnamon Hummingbird, 46 Copper-rumped Hummingbird, 34 Coppery-headed Emerald, 124 Costa’s Hummingbird, 76 Cozumel Emerald, 92 Cuban Emerald, 102
D Dusky Hummingbird, 114
E Emerald-chinned Hummingbird, 30
F Fiery-throated Hummingbird, 184
G Garden Emerald, 90 Garnet-throated Hummingbird, 164
Glow-throated Hummingbird, 190 Golden-crowned Emerald, 92 Green Hermit, 22 Green Mango, 64 Green Thorntail, 118 Green Violetear, 108 Green-breasted Mango, 60, 62 Green-breasted Mountain-Gem, 162 Green-crowned Brilliant, 142 Green-crowned Woodnymph, 200 Green-fronted Hummingbird, 50 Green-fronted Lancebill, 122 Green-throated Carib, 56, 128 Green-throated Mango, 60, 128 Green-throated Mountain-Gem, 160, 162
H Hispaniolan Emerald, 102, 104 Honduran Emerald, 36
J Jamaican Mango, 58
L Little Hermit, 24 Long-billed Hermit, 20 Long-billed Starthroat, 146 Long-tailed Sabrewing, 82 Lucifer Hummingbird, 74
M Magenta-throated Woodstar, 70, 72 Magnificent Hummingbird, 126, 156 Mangrove Hummingbird, 36 Mexican Sheartail, 120 Mexican Woodnymph, 202
P Pale-bellied Hermit, 20 Pirre Hummingbird, 138 Plain-capped Starthroat, 144, 146 Puerto Rican Emerald, 96 Purple-crowned Fairy, 148 Purple-throated Carib, 130 Purple-throated Mountain-Gem, 158 Purple-throated Woodstar, 72
R Red-billed Streamertail, 206, 208 Ruby Topaz, 106 Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 14, 66
Rufous Hummingbird, 196, 198 Rufous Sabrewing, 86 Rufous-breasted Hermit, 18 Rufous-crested Coquette, 170, 172 Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, 46, 52
S Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, 166 Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, 188 Scintillant Hummingbird, 190 Short-crested Coquette, 170 Slender Sheartail, 120 Snowcap, 180 Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, 42 Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird, 204 Steely-vented Hummingbird, 42 Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, 134, 138 Stripe-throated Hermit, 24
T Tooth-billed Hummingbird, 54 Tufted Coquette, 174
V Veraguas Mango, 62 Vervain Hummingbird, 178 Violet Sabrewing, 84 Violet-bellied Hummingbird, 116 Violet-capped Hummingbird, 138, 140 Violet-crowned Hummingbird, 40, 48, 50 Violet-crowned Woodnymph, 200, 202 Violet-headed Hummingbird, 30, 154 Volcano Hummingbird, 190, 194
W Wedge-tailed Sabrewing, 78, 82 White-bellied Emerald, 38 White-bellied Mountain-Gem, 160 White-chested Emerald, 38 White-crested Coquette, 168 White-eared Hummingbird, 152 White-necked Jacobin, 28 White-tailed Emerald, 124 White-tailed Goldenthroat, 186 White-tailed Hummingbird, 132 White-tailed Sabrewing, 80 White-throated Mountain-Gem, 158 White-tipped Sicklebill, 16 White-vented Plumeleteer, 88 Wine-throated Hummingbird, 68
X Xantus’s Hummingbird, 152
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INDEX OF LATIN NAMES
A Abeillia abeillei, 30 Amazilia amabilis, 32 Amazilia beryllina, 34 Amazilia boucardi, 36 Amazilia brevirostris, 38 Amazilia candida, 38 Amazilia cyanocephala, 40 Amazilia cyanura, 42 Amazilia decora, 44 Amazilia edward, 42 Amazilia luciae, 36 Amazilia rutila, 46 Amazilia saucerottei, 42 Amazilia tobaci, 34 Amazilia tzacatl, 46 Amazilia violiceps, 48 Amazilia viridifrons, 50 Amazilia yucatanensis, 52 Androdon aequatorialis, 54 Anthracothorax dominicus, 56 Anthracothorax mango, 58 Anthracothorax nigricollis, 60 Anthracothorax prevostii, 62 Anthracothorax veraguensis, 62 Anthracothorax viridigula, 60 Anthracothorax viridis, 64 Archilochus alexandri, 66 Archilochus colubris, 66 Atthis ellioti, 68 Atthis heloisa, 68
L Chlorostilbon mellisugus, 98 Chlorostilbon notatus, 100 Chlorostilbon ricordii, 102 Chlorostilbon swainsonii, 104 Chrysolampis mosquitus, 106 Colibri delphinae, 108 Colibri thalassinus, 108 Cyanophaia bicolor, 110 Cynanthus latirostris, 112 Cynanthus sordidus, 114
D Discosura conversii, 118 Doricha eliza, 120 Doricha enicura, 120 Doryfera ludovicae, 122
E Elvira chionura, 124 Elvira cupreiceps, 124 Eugenes fulgens, 126 Eulampis holosericeus, 128 Eulampis jugularis, 130 Eupherusa cyanophrys, 132 Eupherusa eximia, 134 Eupherusa nigriventris, 136 Eupherusa poliocerca, 132 Eutoxeres aquila, 16
F B
Florisuga mellivora, 28
Lampornis amethystinus, 156 Lampornis calolaemus, 10, 158 Lampornis castaneoventris, 158 Lampornis clemenciae, 156 Lampornis hemileucus, 160 Lampornis sybillae, 162 Lampornis viridipallens, 160 Lamprolaima rhami, 164 Lepidopyga coeruleogularis, 166 Lophornis adorabilis, 168 Lophornis brachylophus, 170 Lophornis delattrei, 172 Lophornis helenae, 168 Lophornis ornatus, 174
M Mellisuga helenae, 176 Mellisuga minima, 178 Microchera albocoronata, 180
O Orthorhyncus cristatus, 182
P Panterpe insignis, 184 Phaethornis anthophilus, 20 Phaethornis guy, 22 Phaethornis longirostris, 20 Phaethornis longuemareus, 24 Phaethornis striigularis, 24 Polytmus guainumbi, 186
Basilinna leucotis, 152
G C Calliphlox bryantae, 70 Calliphlox evelynae, 70 Calliphlox mitchellii, 72 Calothorax lucifer, 74 Calothorax pulcher, 74 Calypte anna, 76 Calypte costae, 76 Campylopterus curvipennis, 78 Campylopterus cuvierii, 188 Campylopterus ensipennis, 80 Campylopterus excellens, 82 Campylopterus hemileucurus, 84 Campylopterus rufus, 86 Chalybura buffonii, 88 Chalybura urochrysia, 88 Chlorostilbon assimilis, 90 Chlorostilbon auriceps, 92 Chlorostilbon canivetii, 94 Chlorostilbon forficatus, 92 Chlorostilbon maugaeus, 96
Glaucis aeneus, 18 Glaucis hirsutus, 18 Goethalsia bella, 138 Goldmania violiceps, 140
H Heliodoxa jacula, 142 Heliomaster constantii, 144 Heliomaster longirostris, 146 Heliothryx barroti, 148 Hylocharis eliciae, 150 Hylocharis xantusii, 152
J Juliamyia julie, 116
S Selasphorus ardens, 190 Selasphorus calliope, 192 Selasphorus flammula, 194 Selasphorus platycercus, 196 Selasphorus rufus, 198 Selasphorus sasin, 198 Selasphorus scintilla, 190
T Thalurania colombica, 200, 202 Thalurania fannyi, 200 Thalurania ridgwayi, 202 Threnetes ruckeri, 26 Tilmatura dupontii, 204 Trochilus polytmus, 206, 208 Trochilus scitulus, 206, 208
K Klais guimeti, 154
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John C. Arvin John has been studying the birds of Americas since childhood. He had a 30 year career leading birding tours throughout the Western Hemisphere with a heavy emphasis on Latin America, where he has traveled through most of the countries studying birds. He spent much of his career in Peru and Ecuador, the epicenter of the Andes where hummingbird diversity peaks; he was able to achieve familiarity with about two thirds of the hummingbird species. Before retiring in 2010 to pursue personal research and writing, he worked for many years as an avian biologist for Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Raul Andrade Raul was born in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1949; he immigrated to the US in 1955. Growing up in South Texas, he graduated as an art major from University of Texas Pan-American in 1974. After teaching art for 20 years, Raul retired and devoted himself full time to his art. Raul has been painting for 30+ years and specializes in fish, birds, and other wildlife as well as portraits of the American Southwest, all suitable subjects for an avid outdoorsman. His artwork has been featured by many national organizations and publications.
Sangeetha Kadur Sangeetha is a wildlife artist who is driven by her deep appreciation for the natural world and art. She has traveled extensively documenting the Indian biodiversity on paper and canvas. She aspires to capture the essence of the natural world and bring people closer to conservation causes. She has several commissioned projects to her credit and has illustrated for various notable publications and wildlife NGOs. Through ‘Greenscraps’, an initiative she co-founded, she shares her passion for creating art from natural history and hopes to inspire a new generation of nature and wildlife artists.
Vydhehi Kadur Vydhehi enjoys being outdoors as much as she loves sitting at her drawing board. Eclectic interests in art, gardening, wildlife conservation, volunteering, traveling, driving on unknown roads, and cooking mean organized chaos describes everything she does just perfectly. Vydhehi’s Master of Arts in Landscape Studies and a keen eye for detail serve her well as Creative Director for Felis Creations, a media company that works with globally renowned institutions like National Geographic and BBC. In addition, she has co-founded Muddy Waters Miniature Gardens, helping urban dwellers nurture their green thumbs. She has now begun a line of creatively reused merchandise that echoes the beauty of India’s natural heritage.
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ABOUT GORGAS SCIENCE FOUNDATION Gorgas Science Foundation (GSF) was formally incorporated in 1983. However, it traces its roots back to Gorgas Science Society which began in 1947, meeting for the first time in a biology classroom on the campus of Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, Texas. This classroom had previously served as the hospital ward for historic Fort Brown, a United States cavalry post on the banks of the Rio Grande across from Mexico. The foundation was named for Dr. William Crawford Gorgas a young Army Medical Corps officer who worked at Fort Brown in 1880. It was here that Dr. Gorgas came in direct contact with a yellow fever epidemic. In fact, he contracted yellow fever and survived it. This experience started him on a path that would lead to a milestone in medicine. By the end of the Spanish – American War, Gorgas became the Chief Sanitary Officer in Havana, Cuba working to eradicate yellow fever and malaria. Gorgas built on his earlier observations in Brownsville and the work of another army doctor, Major Walter Reed and Cuban doctor, Carlos Finlay, to prove the mosquito transmission of yellow fever. He won international fame battling the illness first in Florida, later in Havana, Cuba and finally Panama. His work was instrumental, facilitating the construction of the Panama Canal and saving millions of lives in the tropical regions of the world. He would later become Surgeon General of the United States. For the last seven decades Gorgas Science Foundation has worked to provide the highest quality educational opportunities, foster awareness of ecological issues, encourage conservation of endangered ecosystems and produce nature related films and books. The character of Gorgas Science Foundation was ingrained by its founder, biology professor Barbara T. Warburton. She encouraged her students to strive for excellence and to never be defeated or deterred from their chosen path. She demonstrated what one person could accomplish despite overwhelming odds. Many of us, her former students and community members, continue to be guided by her example. Since the mid 1960’s Gorgas Science Foundation, in a partnership with Texas Southmost College and later The University of Texas at Brownsville, built and operated biology field stations in the relict cloud forests along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range in the southern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. The field station at Rancho del Cielo became an award winning education and conservation program. From the start, GSF was involved in the effort to protect and save the endangered forest around Rancho del Cielo. By the mid 1980’s this resulted in one of the most important reserves in the Western Hemisphere – the 360,000 acre El Cielo Biosphere Reserve under the auspices of United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In recent years GSF expanded its conservation focus to the Western Ghats of southwestern India. In support of local efforts, GSF produced an hour-long documentary, Sahyadris, Mountains of the Monsoon, which was broadcast in Asia on the Discovery Channel. This award winning film helped galvanize public support for conservation in that unique montane habitat. GSF continues to develop and publish books, films and science curricula focusing on nature. We make effective use of the “image” as a vehicle to educate, inspire and reinforce public support for conservation of endangered ecosystems and the cultural heritage in endangered areas. Gorgas Science Foundation currently works with Audubon to protect one of the last groves of rare oldgrowth Sabal Palm forests in the United States. Our headquarters is located in the Historic Rabb Plantation House, adjacent to Sabal Palm Sanctuary. The sanctuary is tucked away in a bend of the Rio Grande southeast of Brownsville, Texas.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers
Directors
Lawrence V. Löf, President and CEO
Horacio Barrera
Guillermo Aguilar, Vice-President
Pat Celaya
Karen Ray, Secretary
Seth Patterson
D. Martin Bogart, Treasurer
E. Anthony Reisinger
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