Hummingbirds in Kabalebo!

Hummingbirds are known as the gem of the rainforest. Small colorful birds who can mesmerize their surrounding by their appearance. Here are some hummingbirds I managed to photograph in Kabalebo.

Hummingbirds can have wingbeats of 80 - 120 per second. They are able to move in all kind of directions and in a second they are gone from the scene. It took me several years to photograph 13 different hummingbirds seen in Kabalebo. Some are rare and some are seen on a daily basis; it depends where their territory is.

We shall start with the smallest hummingbird I have seen so far in Kabalebo: The Amethyst Woodstar (Calliphlox amethystina) Length: 6.6/7 cm - Weight: 3 grams. A rare hummingbird as I only managed to see her for a week in February, 2014. She was spotted near the lodge of Kabalebo on the monkey brush vine.

Reddish Hermit (Phaethornis ruber) seen here on a Jungle flame branch (Fajalobi). Length: 7/8 cm - Weight: 3 grams. A common hummingbird seen almost on a daily basis, as it is so tiny you might 'miss' its appearance. I have seen this tiny flier quite often near the lodges, on blooming flowers and inside the forest trails. 

Fork-tailed Woodnymph (Thalurania furcata), this is a male looking straight at me. Length: 10 cm - Weight: 4.6 gram. A resident of Kabalebo, seen everyday on the feeders and the monkey brush vines. Sometimes there are more than one and often they try to chase each other away. And without knowing they give us a spectacular show. 

This is the Green-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia viridigaster). Length: 9/10 cm - Weight: 4 gram. A regular visitor of Kabalebo, seen between February - May since 2013. They are seen on the feeders and flowers near the lodge.

This is without denial the White-chinned Sapphire (Hylocharis cyanus), male. Length: 10/11 cm - Weight: 4.6 grams. A resident of Kabalebo seen on a daily basis on small blossoming flowers especially close to the forest. I haven't seen them visiting the feeders (yet). 

Here is another Sapphire: the Rufous-throated Sapphire (Hylocharis sapphirina), male. Length: 10/11 cm - Weight: 4/4.5 grams. A common hummingbird most often seen on blossoming flowers, river edge. 

This is the Green-tailed Goldenthroat (Polytmus theresiae). Length: 9/10 cm - Weight: 3.8/4 grams. This one is not a regular visitor, but during its stay it was seen both on the feeders and on the flowers.

This is the Long-tailed Hermit (Phaethornis superciliosus). Length: 13.5/14 cm - Weight: 4/6.5 grams. A common hummingbird in Kabalebo, seen on different locations; flowers and feeders near the lodge and on different trails inside the forest.

Rufous-breasted Hermit (Glaucis hirsuta). Length  11/13 cm - Weight: 7/8 grams. One that is seen very often on different locations as well; out in the open and inside the forest. A regular visitor of the feeders and flowers near the lodge. 

This is a female Black-throated Mango (Anthracothorax nigricollis) sitting on her nest. Length  12/13 cm - Weight: 8 grams. A resident of Kabalebo. Aggressive and very territorial. She will defend with all her might and won't hesitate to chase away bigger birds (tanagers and flycatchers). The flowers and feeders near the lodge are their favorite spots, but from time to time they also like to hawk for insects in mid air.

A female Black-eared Fairy (Heliothryx aurita) seen sitting on her nest. Length: 10/11 cm - Weight: 5/6 grams. From time to time you can spot them out in the open, close to the dense vegetation, sipping nectar from flowers. But most of the time they are spotted inside the jungle.

The Gray-breasted Sabrewing (Campylopterus largipennis) is the second largest hummingbird I've seen so far in Kabalebo. Length: 14/15 cm - Weight: 7.6/8 grams. A widespread common hummingbird that never disappoints. Seen regularly on all the feeders, flowers and inside the forest or close to the river.

And finally … the largest hummer of them all: the Crimson Topaz (Topaza pella). Here you see both male and female. Length: 19 cm - Weight: 12.5 grams. A river edge hummer, seen quite often on monkey brush vines or Inga trees flowers. Aggressive and territorial. 

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