Costa Rica Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds is a major reason to come to Costa Rica. The small country has 30 species of them, most of which can be seen readily at the feeders. Nature preserves, cafes, and all sorts of other establishments put up feeders and perches, where you can literally come face to face with them.

What I also love about them are the names. No "blue-gray gnatcatchers" here. This one, for example, is the Purple-throated Mountain Gem:


And yes, they do come and sit on your hand.


And this is a Green-crowned Brilliant:


And this is the female Green-crowned Brilliant:


Green Violetear:


Coppery-headed Emerald:


White Jacobin:


Another Green-crowned Brilliant, feeding from someone's hand:


Green Thorntail:


Another Purple-throated Mountain Gem:


It may be hard to believe, but this is the same Purple-throated Mountain Gem as in the picture above. The color looks different because their feathers do not contain many pigments - the coloration comes from light refraction. This means that feathers change color depending on the angle from which you are looking at them.

White Jacobin:


Rufous-Tailed Hummingbird:


Another White Jacobin:


Another Rufous-Tailed Hummingbird:


Violet Sabrewing:


Yet another Rufous-Tailed Hummingbird:


Bronze-Tailed Plumeleteer: