Violet Sabrewing

The afternoon of 5 July 2017 became increasingly overcast, with widely scattered downpours. Our normally laid-back dragonfly enthusiasts became downright glum. Arriving at Monteverde, instead of checking into our hotel, our intrepid guides decided to detour to the Hummingbird Gallery.  This small, hillside, coffee house was surrounded by forest at the end of the road next to the entrance to the Monteverde National Park. The gallery sign promised a “gift shop, local crafts, photo exposition, mail box, green disposal, Welcome.” The draw, however, was dozens of hummingbird feeders and hundreds of hummingbirds. The birds zipped back and forth in a feeding frenzy. I suspect at least two species of hummingbirds (and a Bananaquit) are in the first photo. Sorting out field marks and identification still leaves me astounded. The species diversity was like being in an aerial Great Barrier Reef.

Violet Sabrewings were the most common species, or, at least, the most belligerent. These hummingbirds range from southern Mexico to Costa Rica. They dominated the feeders, chasing interlopers away. Oddly, almost all were males. The males are polygamous and form leks, which are areas where males sing and females pick their mates. Several females may mate with one male. The males do not participate in raising the young. I only recall seeing one female, the bird in the second to last photo in this post.

We quickly figured out that we got better photos if we looked for birds perched away from the aesthetically distracting feeders. As rain began to fall, this male sabrewing appear to be taking a short nap. Violet Sabrewings get their names from their sabre-shaped outer wing quills. Dennis Paulson says that this strange feather shape makes an impressive rattling sound when the Sabrewings fly.

The rain developed into a short-lived downpour. We tourists were glad to be under the eaves of the cafe. A few of the sabrewings bathed under the downspouts from the roof. The birds spread their wings and fluffed the body feathers. Clearly these hummingbirds did not mind getting soaked.