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
MANGROVE HUMMINGBIRD – (Species Account Blog #55)
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Caprimulgiformes,
- FAMILY: Trochilidae,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Amazilia boucardi
The Mangrove Hummingbird (Amazilia boucardi) is a small/medium-sized hummingbird and is found only along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, most often in or near mangrove trees. Male has a glittering blue-green head and throat contrasting with a whitish belly. The base of the bill is red. Female is greenish above with mostly white underparts; note her dark forked tail. (from Birds of the World)
OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
This endangered endemic to the Pacific Coast mangroves of Costa Rica was a high value target on our boat trip on the Tárcoles River near Carara NP. We were fortunate to see one but not fortunate enough to get a decent image of it.
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 