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
MAGENTA-THROATED WOODSTAR – (Species Account Blog #39)
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Caprimulgiformes,
- FAMILY: Trochilidae,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Philodice bryantae
Found only in southern Central America, the Magenta-throated Woodstar occurs from northern Costa Rica to western Panama, and is largely restricted to the Pacific slope of the isthmus. Both sexes of the Magenta-throated Woodstar have the green upperparts spangled with rufous, with the male having a glittering purple gorget and a long tail (both lacking in females). Both sexes possess a white collar on the front of the neck, although this is much more striking in males, and otherwise are green with rufous and white spotting below (in males) or largely whitish with spotting largely confined to the flanks (females). The Magenta-throated Woodstar is found in a wide variety of more or less wooded country, principally between 700 and 1850 m. (from Birds of the World)
OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
We watched one of these hummingbirds feeding on the verbena around the garden area of the El Toucanet Lodge in the Talamanca Highlands (about 6400′ elevation).
PHOTO GALLERY
View the five 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
Reflections of the Natural World 