Folha Seca
Green Honeycreeper
28 January 2012 22:25

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Brazil, Panama
Bird name: Green Honeycreeper
Latin: Chlorophanes spiza
Other: Mielero verde (Es) • Saí-verde (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers, Honeycreepers
Range: Mexico to Brazil
Similar:
The Green Honeycreeper is a fairly common visitor to Jonas’ fruit feeders in Brazil. The male, above, has a distinctively shaped black hood on a turquoise body. The female, directly below, is leaf green. Both have yellow lower half of bill and red irises.
A juvenile male is pictured further below, showing a mixture of male and female plumage.
The lowest photo, taken in Panama on the observation deck of the Canopy Tower hotel, shows a female on a Cecropia with darker olive wing markings than the Brazilian birds I saw.
Below, a female Green Honeycreeper, Brazil.
More photos...Comments
Versicolored Emerald
14 February 2011 09:06

Copyright: monacoeye • Folha Seca, Brazil • Do not copy without permission
Bird name: Versicolored Emerald
Latin: Amazilia versicolor
Other: Versicoloured Emerald (UK) • Beija-flor-de-banda-branca (Br)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Southeast and northeast Brazil, Amazonia
Similar:
The Versicolored Emerald was one of the more common types of hummingbird at Jonas’ feeders in Folha Seca, but I found them difficult to identify, so these photos are from the very-likely-but-not-certain bin.
Identification signs for the Versicolored Emerald include reddish lower bill, white mark behind eye, whitish belly, dusky blue subterminal band on tail. There are also regional variations.
More photos...Violaceous Euphonia
06 February 2011 16:56

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Ubatuba, 2009
Bird name: Violaceous Euphonia
Latin: Euphonia violacea
Other:
Family: Fringillidae • Finches, Euphonias
Range: N, SC South America, including Brazil Atlantic Forest
Similar: Thick-billed Euphonia, Purple-throated Euphonia
We saw these Violaceous Euphonias at Jonas’ fruit feeders in Ubatuba. Pretty much identical to the Thick-billed Euphonia, which fortunately is not in range on the coast of Brazil.
The male Violaceous Euphonia has blue-black upperparts and yellow-orange underparts and forehead. The female is greenish above and yellowish below.
More photos...Black Throated Mango
17 June 2010 17:44

Copyright: monacoeye • Folha Seca, Brazil, 2009 • Do not copy without permission
Bird name: Black Throated Mango
Latin: Anthracothorax nigricollis
Other: Mango de Garganta Negra (Es) • Beija-flor-de-veste-preta (Br)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Panama to Brazil
The Black-throated Mango female, below, is easily recognised by its black-on-white stripe which runs down from neck to tail. The male has a blue throat, with emerald border. Both have a purplish tail feathers.
The immature has rufous colouring around the face and throat, “see more photos” for one at the Canopy Tower in Panama.

More photos...
Swallow Tailed Hummingbird
15 June 2010 13:20

Copyright: monacoeye • Brasilia, Brazil • Do not copy without permission
Bird name: Swallow Tailed Hummingbird
Latin: Eupetomena macroura
Other: Beija-flor-tesoura (Br)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Mainly Brazil, also Bolivia and Paraguay
Record shots of the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird - a fairly common hummingbird in Brazil, identifiable by its very long deeply-forked tail.
These photos were taken in Ubatuba and Brazilia.More photos...
Saw Billed Hermit
17 March 2010 08:02

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba • November 2009
Bird name: Saw Billed Hermit
Latin: Ramphodon naevius
Other: Beija-flor-rajado (Br)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range:
Similar:
The Saw-billed Hermit is a large hummingbird, endemic to the southeast coast of Brazil.
The Saw-billed Hermit has an ochre throat, streaked dark brown and white in the centre which continues onto streaked chest and belly. Its tail is dark brown in the centre and ochre on the sides. Most of the rest of the bird is tones of brown. It has a light supercilium and the underside and lower half of its bill is yellow.
The male has a straight bill, while the female’s bill is more decurved.
More photos...Violet Capped Woodnymph
16 March 2010 19:41

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba • November 2009
Bird name: Violet Capped Woodnymph
Latin: Thalurania glaucopis
Other: Beija-flor-de-fronte-violeta (Br)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range:
Similar:
The Violet-capped Woodnymph is a hummingbird found throughout the southeast of Brazil, and into Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.
The male has a characteristic purple cap, black bill, greenish body, brownish wings and deep blue, longish, forked tail. The female is light underneath, but I’m not certain the photo below is a female Violet-capped Woodnymph (needs confirmation). She has a shorter, white-tipped tail.
These photos were mostly taken at Jonas’ excellent feeders in Folha Seca.
More photos...Festive Coquette
30 January 2010 13:56

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba Brazil Nov 2009
Bird name: Festive Coquette
Latin: Lophornis chalybeus
Other: Topetinho-verde (Br)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range:
Similar:
The Festive Coquette was another spectacular small hummingbird seen at Jonas’ feeders in Folha Seca in Ubatuba. It has two populations, one in southeastern Brazil and one in the northwest of South America.
Like other Coquettes, the Festive Coquette is small with a white band on the rump. The Festive Coquette male (above) has long white-spotted neck feathers, a black mask, otherwise mosty green but as with most hummingbirds other colours can also be seen, especially with flash. The female (one photo under “more photos”) has no long neck feathers.
More photos...Black Jacobin
30 January 2010 11:00

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia Brazil Nov 2009
Bird name: Black Jacobin
Latin: Florisuga fusca
Other: Beija-flor-preto (Br)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range:
Similar:
The Black Jacobin is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of the east coast of Brazil and neighbouring countries. It was probably the most common hummingbird in most locations I visited.
The Black Jacobin appears black and white although the upperside is very dark green in some lights. Tail is white with central black feathers. There is a small patch of white on the belly area. Immatures can have rufous throats and mottled brown caps. The Black Jacobin is a bit larger than many other hummingbirds at feeders, such as the versicoloured emerald.
More photos...