Justin Blachman
Costa Rica Portfolio
Mangrove Hummingbird - Amazilia boucardi
Description
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The beautiful bird has a stunning bronze-green underparts, and a bluish green breast. It's belly has a contrasting white and a long, downward-curving beak. The female is simular to the male, except she has a more extensive white belly, and green spots sprinkled on her chest.
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Averaging only 10 centimeters in length, and weighing only 4.5 grams, the Mangrove Hummingbird is a lighweight and small, yet important part of the Costa Rican wildlife.
A Female Mangrove Hummingbird
Habitat/Diet
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In the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, the Mangrove Hummingbird roams from the Nicoya Pininsular, south to the Golfo Dulce. Hence the name, the Mangrove Hummingbird tends to live in the mongrove forests they inhabit.
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Simular to most birds, the Mangrove Hummingbird feeds from flowers, but specifically , its diet consist of the nectar from the tea mangrove. The Mangrove has adopted a specialized, long toungue to collect the nectar at the base of the nectaries. They also tend to snatch small insects like mosquitoes from the air around th tea mangrove.
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Due to the destruction of mangroves (the plant) for shrimp aqua culture, and roads, the Mangrove's native habitat has been damaged, and is threatening their survival.
The Nicoya Peninsula where many Mangrove's remain
Behavior
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The Mangrove Humming bird is able to beat its wings 200 times per second. Due to this energy-demanding trait, the Mongrove Hummingbird must consume a lot of nectar, as many as 2,000 flowers per day.
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The Mangrove Hummingbird breeds from October to February, and as usual, the males always come up with an elaborate courtship display. The Mangrove nest is around three to twelve feet above the water, and is typically made entirely from spider web, lichen, and plant material.
A Mangrove Hummingbird Nest