Fiery-throated Hummingbirds
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The Fiery-throated Hummingbird (Panterpe insignis) is a medium-sized hummingbird which breeds only in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama. It is the only member of the genus Panterpe.
This is a common to abundant bird of montane forest canopy above 1400 m, and also occurs in scrub at the woodland edges and clearings.
Description:
This bird is 11cm long and weighs 5.7 g. It has a straight black bill and dusky feet.
The adult Fiery-throated Hummingbird has shiny green body plumage, a blue tail, and a white spot behind the eye. It often looks dark, but when the light catches it at the right angle, it shows a brilliant blue crown, yellow-bordered bright orange throat, and blue chest patch.
The sexes are similar, but young birds have rufous fringes to the head plumage.
Call / Vocalization:
The call is a high-pitched twittering.
Breeding / Nesting:
The female Fiery-throated Hummingbird is entirely responsible for nest building and incubation. She lays two white eggs in a bulky plant-fibre cup nest 2-4 m high at the end of a descending bamboo stem or on a rootlet under a bank. Incubation takes 15-19 days, and fledging another 20-26.
Diet / Feeding:
The food of this species is nectar, taken from a variety of small flowers, including epiphytic Ericaceae and bromeliads. Like other hummingbirds it also takes small insects as an essential source of protein.
Male Fiery-throated Hummingbird defend flowers and scrubs in their feeding territories, and are dominant over most other hummingbirds. They will, however, allow females to share their food resources.
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