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Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia (Chlorophonia pyrrhophrys)

The Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia has a very descriptive name, although I could not get any pictures where that breast is visible. Its colors range from dark green on the back and wings, lighter green on the throat and face, yellow rump, black supercilliary and blue cap. On the underside, the male features a yellow belly with a chestnut breast, whereas the female is mostly green below. They like to eat small fruits and do not seem to be too frightened of people. As a matter of fact, one bird almost perches on my lens but preferred to land on a nearby bush that could provide actual food. It stayed for about half an hour, not feeling threatened at all by us shooting pictures at him.

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Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens)

The Buff-tailed Coronet is among the most common hummingbirds in the areas of Colombia we visited. Its body color is green in general, with a scaled pattern on the belly, although the back can look reddish under the right light. The wings are brown and are long enough to cover the tail when folded down and perched. The white postocular spot is a defining feature, along with the buffy shoulders and white feathers that cover their feet, similar to the Booted Racket-tail. The bill is short and straight, entirely black. They like to perch for a few minutes in small branches, and when their feel their personal space is threatened by other individuals, they may put up a fight on the wing. Sometimes they perched alone, peacefully resting before flying again to drink more nectar, both from nearby flowers and from the feeders. It may not be the flashiest in terms of colors and anatomy, but it sure is beautiful to watch. In Rio Blanco Natural Reserve where we first saw them, they swarm in big numbers around the feeders, fighting each other and with other species.

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Booted Racket-tail (Ocreatus underwoodii)

The Booted Racket-tail is simply a marvel of nature. It has a long tail, which is composed of bare rachises ending in a wide racket-like structure. At first glance, it can resembled the Long-tailed Sylph, but the tail’s shape is unmistakable once taken notice. The long, slim tail ending in a wide feather reminds me of a Motmot, albeit a very small one. Other than its most conspicuous trait, it has white feathers covering its legs, which explains why it is called Booted. The body is mostly green but iridescent like many hummingbirds, making it change in coloration with the view angle. The black bill is straight and short.

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Blue-headed Sapphire (Hylocharis grayi)

The Blue-headed Sapphire is a very conspicuous hummingbird. It has an iridescent green body with brown wings and white feathers on its legs, sharing this combination of colors with many hummingbirds. However, its head is a deep blue, almost violet coloration, and it has a dark pink bill with a black tip, which makes it stand out of the crowd. It is shy in comparison with other birds that approached the feeders at Finca Alejandria, and when I first saw, it was on feeders inside the forest, in a very dark environment. It did came to a feather in the outside and perched long enough to get a good picture of it.

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Black-and-chestnut Eagle (Spizaetus isidori)

The Black-and Chestnut Eagle was one of the highlights of our trip to Colombia. While we were not able to see it in the wild (it is said to occur in Yarumo Blanco SFF), but one individual was in display at CRARSI (Centro de Reabilitación de Aves Rapaces de San Isidro). It is a large bird of prey with a meter and a half wingspan, able to grab and eat Guans (which are big birds), monkeys and coatis, along other medium-sized mammals. Their plumage is black overall, with a chestnut belly and chest. Their piercing eyes are bright yellow, and its gaze can be scary to see from up close. It is very sad to know that birds this magnificent are held as pets in cages on people’s houses. They should be born to be free.

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Black Flowerpiercer (Diglossa humeralis)

The Flowerpiercers are small birds in the Tanager family that have the upper tip of the bill curved down, allowing them to pierce flowers from the base and drink their nectar, hence their name. Their very short bill do not allow them to drink nectar like a hummingbird does, by inserting the bill into the flower, so they do not pollinate flowers. It is very similar to the Glossy Flowerpiercer, however the former is found in higher grounds, has more blueish plumage and is slightly larger. While piercing flowers, they can balance themselves in tricky positions, like upside down. Their feet grab themselves with force from the branches.

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Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis)

The Aplomado Falcon is a bird of prey with a slender body, able to catch prey in mid-air. Its name derives from a Spanish word that comes to mean Plumbeous, which refer to the blue-grey plumage of the head and back of the body. In adults, the chest and head markings are white, while in Juveniles those parts are buffy with black streaking on the chest. The tail is barred in black and white. The bill is hooked down, which helps to tear down flesh from their prey. They eat insects and small vertebrates, including birds and quail.

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Andean Emerald (Amazilia franciae)

This is a medium-sized hummingbird that can be found in South America, specifically in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Males have a violet crown, while females have a green crown. It has iridescent plumage, like many other hummer species, which changes the color depending on the view angle and the angle of the light that bounces off it, giving away colors that look metallic and intense. In general it is green on the back and sides, white on the belly, chest and throat, and coppery in the upper tail. The bill is black, mostly straight and thin. The wings are brown, but glow blue when iridescent.

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Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis)

The Rufous-collared Sparrow is a common sight in the Central Valley of Costa Rica and the surrounding mountains, and it is also common in the regions of Colombia that we visited. It can be seen hopping in the grass, on the lookout for small worms and insects. They are not shy at all of people and will enter houses and buildings looking for food that may lie on the floor. The Juvenile lacks the Rufous collar around the neck and back. Common does not mean any less fascinating, and the “Comemaiz” is one of those common birds in Costa Rica that has more than one trick down its sleeve.

Rufous-collared Sparrow