Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: – Costa Rica’s national motto and tourism slogan, “La Pura Vida” loosely translates to Live Life or Enjoy Life. With over 900 bird species recorded here, there is certainly lots to enjoy! With 12 of the world’s 18 life zones, its diverse landscapes, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, and savannas, provide habitat for a wide range of iconic birds A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain

BIRDS & BIRDING IN COSTA RICA WEBSITE LINK

PURPLE-CROWNED FAIRY – (Species Account Blog #29)

ABOUT THIS SPECIES

TAXONOMIC TREE:  

• ORDER: Caprimulgiformes,
• FAMILY: Trochilidae,
• BINOMIAL NAME: Heliothryx barroti

Due to their inquisitive nature, Purple-crowned Fairies are reasonably easy to observe. These busy hummingbirds often pause in front of a human audience before going back to foraging. They frequently open and close their long tails and cock them up when hovering at flowers. Purple-crowned Fairies routinely pierce the base of flowers with their straight, pointed bills and steal nectar without actually pollinating the plant. These elegant hummingbirds are pure white below and have a dark mask through the eye. They inhabit humid and wet forests and second growth woodlands and are often fairly aggressive even though they are not territorial. (from Birds of the World)

OBSERVATION ANECDOTES

We spotted this species in the Caribbean Lowlands and lower montane areas at Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat and along the road to the dam at Arenal. My first experience with this hummingbird was with Rich Brown while we walaked around the musuem grounds early one morning at Tikal, Guatemala. The bottom photo below actually shows two of them in close proximity.

PHOTO GALLERY

BIRDS & BIRDING IN COSTA RICA WEBSITE LINK: Purple-crowned Fairy

View the three most recent Birds & Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.

• A Streak-headed Woodcreeper Feeds its Offspring Near the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
• PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
• SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
• HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
• BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding