@ Green Hills Butterfly Ranch, Cayo District, Belize

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

GREEN-BREASTED MANGO(Species Account Blog #30)

TAXONOMIC TREE:  

  • ORDER: Caprimulgiformes,
  • FAMILY: Trochilidae,
  • BINOMIAL NAME: Anthracothorax prevostii

The Green-breasted Mango is a polytypic (multiple forms or morphs) species with four subspecies currently recognized that are distributed from eastern Mexico south to northwestern Panama, on a few islands in the western Caribbean, and in northeastern Colombia and northern Venezuela. It is a large, robust hummingbird with a stout, slightly curved bill. The male is primarily deep green with a purple tail. The female and immature are green above and have whitish median underparts with a dark central stripe. The older adult female may look more like the adult male. (from Birds of the World).

Green-breasted Mango Distribution Map (from Birds of the World)

In Costa Rica we first spotted this species at Rancho Naturalista at the feeders and again at Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat near Sarapiqui. I first saw this hummingbird (male and female) while visiting Cozumel Island in Quintana Roo, MX and again in Belize and at Tikal in Guatemala.

@ El Cedral pueblo, Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Female @ El Cedral pueblo, Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico
@ Green Hills Butterfly Ranch, Cayo District, Belize

BIRDS & BIRDING IN COSTA RICA WEBSITE LINK: Green-breasted Mango

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

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

ABOUT ME

Through my lens and prose I hope to instill a greater sense of awe, compassion and inspiration as I discover new creatures, explore interesting habitats, and gain wisdom about the natural world that’s all around us. It is my hope that readers are motivated to learn more about our environment and its inhabitants, and become passionate advocates for conservation.

I earned my college degree in biology, a foundation that shaped not only how I see the world, but how I’ve spent my life sharing it with others. For more than 35 years, I worked in education as both a teacher and administrator, guiding students through the wonders of science and the joy of discovery. That same spirit of curiosity has carried me through decades of volunteer work in citizen science and conservation. This blog brings together my passions for birding, conservation, and storytelling.

~ Jim Gain