Talamanca Hummingbird

Overview

The Talamanca hummingbird (Eugenes spectabilis), also known as the admirable hummingbird, is a species of hummingbird belonging to the 'mountain gems' tribe. It is currently considered a distinct species by major ornithological authorities, though some sources still treat it as a subspecies of the magnificent hummingbird.

Identification

• About 13 cm in length, with males weighing around 10 g and females around 8.5 g.
• Both sexes possess a long, straight black bill and a small white spot behind the eye.
• Adult males feature a metallic violet-blue to purple crown, a dull black forehead with a dark green gloss, and bronzy to golden green upperparts; females lack the iridescent crown and gorget, displaying dull dark green upperparts and a sooty black face.
• The song consists of soft, low-pitched burbling, scratchy, and buzzy notes, while aggressive encounters involve rapid streams of high, clear, liquid chips.

Habitat

Found in the mountains of central Costa Rica and western Panama, specifically the Cordillera Central and Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica and the Volcán Barú massif in Panama. It inhabits oak forests, favouring forest edges, clearings, and nearby secondary forests. In Costa Rica, it occurs from 2,000 m to the treeline, most commonly above 2,500 m, while in Panama it ranges between 2,000 and 2,400 m.

Diet

This species feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, with males defending patches in the lower forest storeys and sometimes in the canopy, while females forage by trap-lining a circuit of flowers. It likely consumes small arthropods, though specific foraging details for this species are lacking; closely related species capture insects in mid-air or by gleaning from vegetation.

Did you know?

The bird's cup nest is typically placed at the tip of a dangling bamboo stem between 1.5 and 3 m above the ground, covered on the outside with moss and lichens.