Panama Bird Photos - Hummingbirds

by Will Cook

Here's a selection of bird images from a trip to Panama, March 17-April 4, 2004. I managed to photograph about 35 of the 400 species of birds we saw, though I missed many of the more common ones. We saw lots of great butterflies and a few mammals, too. All of my photos were taken using a Nikon CoolPix 995, and most were digiscoped, taken through a spotting scope. Fellow trip-mate Lynn Barber contributed some of her stunning bird shots that she took with her digital SLR with telephoto lens.

Frigatebirds through Potoos | Hummingbirds | Trogons through Woodpeckers | Passerines

Long-billed Hermit (Phaethornis longirostris) 4/2/04 - Cabañas Burbayar, Panama province (on border with San Blas). At 6:30 pm Iñaki, the proprietor of the Cabañas, shouted to get our attention, telling us to bring cameras. He and the guide had just seen this Long-billed Hermit, which had just been feeding on nearby Hibiscus flowers, get trapped in a big orb weaver's web next to the shed! Fortunately the hummer freed itself after a brief struggle.

Violet Sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) 3/28/04 - Amistad, Chiriqui

	White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) 3/22/04 - Canopy Tower, Panama. These striking large hummers were abundant at the Canopy Tower's feeders, but we didn't see them elsewhere on the trip.
	White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) 3/26/04 - Canopy Tower, Panama. They have a Z-shaped posture when feeding.
	White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) 3/22/04 - Canopy Tower, Panama. Female.
	Black-throated Mango (Anthracothorax nigricollis) 3/30/04 - Mali, Fortuna Road, Bocas del Toro. Female sitting on her nest.
	Green Thorntail (Discosura conversii) 3/30/04 - Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Fortuna Road, Chiriqui. A female, looking up.
	Violet-bellied Hummingbird (Damophila julie) 3/26/04 - Canopy Tower, Panama. Male. Violet-bellies were common at Metropolitan Park and throughout the canal zone. The belly is purple, but from this angle the flanks appear blue.
	Blue-chested Hummingbird (Amazilia amabilis) 3/26/04 - Canopy Tower, Panama. Male. Uncommon, seen at the Canopy Tower and Cabañas Burbayar.
	Snowy-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia edward) 3/26/04 - Canopy Tower, Panama. Male, with female White-necked Jacobin. Uncommon, similar to the common Rufous-tailed, but with a snowy-white belly.
	Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) 3/18/04 - Cerro Azul, Panama. Immature. Perhaps the most common hummer in Panama. This young'un just was sitting on this branch of a Hibiscus bush, waiting to be fed.

	White-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis castaneoventris) 3/28/04 - Amistad National Park, Chiriqui. Male.
	Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens), female 3/28/04 - Amistad, Chiriqui.
	Volcano Hummingbird (Selasphorus flammula) 3/27/04 - Slopes of Volcan Baru, Chiriqui, Panama.

Frigatebirds through Potoos | Hummingbirds | Trogons through Woodpeckers | Passerines

Comments? Questions? E-mail me at cwcook@duke.edu