Bulletin 300 - Guatemala 2017 #6 - Hummingbirds

I went for a second visit to Guatemala at the end of May. Once again, I used the wonderful local guide Knut Eisermann of Cayaya Birding. On this visit, we concentrated on the western highlands and Pacific lowlands along the Mexican border, as several Mexican species just make it into Guatemala here. 

I got photos of 7 species on hummers on the trip, so I will describe them in alphabetical order. The 4.5" Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis amethystinus). This bird has a vertical white behind the eye.The range is Mexico to Honduras. The male has a bright pink throat, but I did not see one. This juvenile male was feeding at some flowers.

Amethyst-throated Hummingbird - juvenile male

The female has a buffy throat.

Amethyst-throated Hummingbird -female

I was surprised to see the 4" Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) here. This is the hummer seen in Colorado They do breed this far south, but at very high elevations. We were about 10,000 feet. It was very cold even in early June and the stunted flowers were just an inch tall, so the bird was on the ground essentially.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird - male

Next is the 3.5" Canivet's Emerald (Chlorostilbon canivetii). The male is all green with a forked tail. The female ahs a striped head, but is all white below. This juvenile male is molting to adult plumage, but he still has the head of a female and mostly white below. The forked tail can be seen. The range is southeastern Mexico to Honduras.

Canivet's Emerald - juvenile male

Next was another lifer the amazing 4.5" Garnet-throated Hummingird (Lamprolaima rhami). The male is green with deep red throat with blue chest, but he also has reddish wings making him an easy ID.

Garnet-throated Hummingbird - male

The next was another life bird, the 4" Green-fronted Hummingbird (Amazilia viridifrons). This is a rather plain hummingbird green above and grayish below. He does have the red bill usually seen in this genus.

Green-fronted Hummingbird

Next is the 5" Plain-capped Starthroat (Heliomaster constantii). This bird is a rare vagrant to Southeast Arizona where I had first seen it, but didn't get a photo. This was my second sighting of this species. Sexes are similar and it id iDed by large size, striped head and white lower back.

Plain-capped Starthroat

Lastly is another rarity in southeast Arizona, the 3.5" White-eared Hummingbird (Hylocharis leucotis). It has a dark head with a white stripe behind the eye and a red bill.

White-eared Hummingbird

I have put the different bird families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 123 of the 348 hummingbirds

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2017 David McDonald

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