Here are two hummingbirds found in the high Andes.
A Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, photographed in the Andes outside of Quito. This is a female, which lacks the male's colorful beard.
A Viridian Metaltail. The word viridian refers to a green pigment.
Showing its metal tail:
Not far from the Zuro Loma Reserve is the Yanacocha Reserve.
Here are two hummingbirds seen.
The Shining Sunbeam is named for the fabulously iridescent backside, when the sun hits it right.
Here one poses just right, showing both its face and its lovely back!
A Buff-winged Starfrontet, showing its buff wings:
Two of the most spectacular hummingbirds to be seen at Zuro Loma:
Black-tailed Trainbearer:
The outlandish Sword-billed Hummingbird!
More hummingbirds at the Zuro Loma Reserve:
Another Mountain Velvetbreast:
A female Green-tailed Trainbearer:
Many hummingbird species can be seen at Zuro Loma Reserve.
Mountain Velvetbreast:
Buff-winged Starfrontlet:
Sapphire-vented Puffleg:
Who doesn't love pufflegs? Any hummingbird that wears puffy after-ski boots is a favorite of mine!
Outside of Antisana National Park is a small lodge and restaurant which has hummingbird feeders.
Here I saw my first Giant Hummingbird.
Giant Hummingbird is the species name, and it describes the bird well. The Giant Hummingbird averages over 8 1/2 inches long! To compare, our Anna's Hummingbird is about four inches long, and even the common House Sparrow is only six inches long.
It looks more like a songbird than a hummingbird:
A Shining Sunbeam:
Shining Sunbeams squabble over a favored perch next to a hummingbird feeder:
The Ecuadorian Hillstar is found at extremely high elevations in the Andes, ranging from 12,000-16,500 feet (3600-5000 meters).
The male is spectacular. I only saw a female, who was tending to a nest. As male hummingbirds do not attend the nest, there is no telling where her mate was!
The nest was in the eaves of an informational kiosk. I took a few pictures and then left her alone:
I'm not sure of the elevation but it was over 12,000 feet!
I do not keep a Life List (a list of birds I've seen in my life), as many birders do. I don't really care how many birds I have seen (or have yet to see)!
For me, experiencing the birds is important, and if I can get a good photograph that is a bonus.
However, I've started a Life List for hummingbird species!
Whereas there are about 10,000 species of birds in the world, there are about 360 species of hummingbird.
And they are ALL found in the New World, and many (or most?) come to feeders.
So, it might be an attainable goal to see quite a few of the hummingbirds.
During my short time in Ecuador, I saw and photographed 33 species of hummingbird, which has pushed my Hummingbird List to 72...
I was feeling pretty good about that, until I looked at the Merlin app, which lists 129 species of hummingbirds that can be seen in Ecuador alone!
I guess I'll have to make a return visit...
The Sparkling Violetear visited the feeders at Hacienda Jimenita:
The Sparkling Violetear is an aggressive hummingbird which keeps other hummingbirds away from any feeder it covets.
A Western Emerald:
More birds from Mérida's Acuaparque:
Tricolored Heron:
The Cinnamon Hummingbird is found in parts of Mexico and Central America:
The Mexican Sheartail is found only in a small area of the Yucatán and an even smaller area of Veracruz, Mexico.
My guide Luis took me to the very bush he knew the bird would be perched on.
The Yucatán Wren is one of eight species with Yucatán in its name. Fittingly, it is only found in the Yucatán:
The Yucatán Gnatcatcher has a nearly identical range to the Yucatán Wren, in dry tropical shrub along the northern coast of the Yucatán:
Three locally endemic species in one morning! Thanks, Luis!
