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
BLUE-VENTED HUMMINGBIRD – (Species Account Blog #52)
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Caprimulgiformes,
- FAMILY: Trochilidae,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Saucerottia hoffmanni
The Blue-vented Hummingbird (Saucerottia hoffmanni) is a fairly small dark hummingbird, green overall with dark blue tail. Straight, medium-length bill. Copper rump and absence of rufous wing flash help distinguish from other similar species. Sexes similar. Usually seen feeding singly in flowers along forest edge, shrubby second growth, and gardens. (from Birds of the World)
OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
We observed this hummingbird in the vecinity of the El Toucanet Lodge garden area in the Talamanca Highlands several times with up to 5 seen during one checklist period. This is my species in most need of better photographs. Those here are barely diagnostic.
PHOTO GALLERY
**Some of this Blog Series photos (all taken by me) have been taken in other nearby countries.
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 