The Talamanca hummingbird or admirable hummingbird, is a species of hummingbird in the "mountain gems", tribe Lampornithini in subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
Region
Central American highlands
Typical Environment
Occurs in the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama, centered on the Cordillera de Talamanca and Chiriquí highlands. It occupies humid montane evergreen and oak cloud forests rich in epiphytes, as well as forest edges, clearings, and high-elevation gardens. Birds often forage along ridges and in flowering shrub layers, using prominent perches to survey feeding territories. After the breeding season, it may descend slightly to follow blooming plants but remains within montane zones.
Altitude Range
1500–3500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the admirable hummingbird, it belongs to the mountain gem group and is the southern counterpart to Rivoli’s hummingbird. Males flash a brilliant emerald gorget and violet crown that gleam in high-elevation cloud-forest light. It aggressively defends rich flower patches and often returns to the same favored perches. After breeding, some individuals make short elevational shifts following flower availability.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; agile hoverer
Social Behavior
Typically solitary outside of breeding, with males vigorously defending nectar resources from perches and through rapid chases. Courtship involves display flights near rich flower patches; no long-term pair bond is formed. The nest is a small cup of plant down and moss bound with spider silk, placed on a horizontal branch or sheltered fork.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are sharp chips and metallic tinks delivered from exposed perches, interspersed with thin twitters. Wings produce an audible hum during close flight. Males may give a slightly more varied, buzzy chatter when defending territories.
Plumage
Male shows a glittering emerald-green gorget, dark green to bronzy upperparts, and a contrasting violet crown; underparts appear dusky with green gloss and the tail is dark with a slight sheen. Female has green upperparts with grayish to buff underparts and a distinct pale post-ocular stripe; throat lightly speckled. Both sexes have iridescent tones that shift with light.
Diet
Feeds primarily on nectar from tubular flowers of montane shrubs and trees, including those with abundant epiphytes. Also consumes small arthropods for protein, hawking insects in short sallies and gleaning from foliage. Uses a long extensible tongue to efficiently extract nectar and often returns to favorite flower circuits. Territorial birds may exclude other hummingbirds from productive patches.
Preferred Environment
Forages along forest edges, clearings, and within the midstory and canopy of cloud forests where blossoms are concentrated. Frequently visits flowering gardens and roadside banks at high elevations. Often feeds from perches interspersed with short hovering bouts.
