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Scintillant Hummingbird

Selasphorus scintilla

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernNectarUrbanCup nestTiny · 2 g
Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla), photo 1
Photo: Len Blumin from Mill Valley, California, United States · CC BY 2.0
Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla), photo 2
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0
Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla), photo 3
Photo: Charlie Jackson · CC BY 2.0
Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla), photo 4
Photo: Charlie Jackson · CC BY 2.0
Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla), photo 5
Photo: Matt MacGillivray from Toronto, Canada · CC BY 2.0
Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla), photo 6
Photo: Matt MacGillivray from Toronto, Canada · CC BY 2.0
Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla), photo 7
Photo: Charlie Jackson · CC BY 2.0
Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla), photo 8
Photo: Charlie Jackson · CC BY 2.0
Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla), photo 9
Photo: Charlie Jackson · CC BY 2.0
Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla), photo 10
Photo: Charlie Jackson · CC BY 2.0

ID tip

It is only 6.5–8 cm (2.6–3.1 in) long, including the bill. The male weighs 2 g (0.071 oz) and the female 2.3 g (0.081 oz). This is one of the smallest birds in existence, marginally larger than the bee hummingbird. The black bill is short and straight. The adult male scintillant hummingbird has bronze-green upperparts and a rufous and black-striped tail. The throat is brilliant red, separated from the cinnamon underparts by a white neck band. The female is similar, but her throat is buff with small green spots and the flanks are richer rufous.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Scintillant Hummingbird

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 11 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is March, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Scintillant Hummingbird

Regular range

The map shades 2 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Costa Rica Panama

About the Scintillant Hummingbird

The scintillant hummingbird is a hummingbird endemic to Costa Rica and Panama. This species is replaced at higher elevations by its relative, the volcano hummingbird, S. flammula.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Volcano Hummingbird (Selasphorus flammula) Volcano HummingbirdSelasphorus flammulaThe volcano hummingbird is 7.5 to 8 cm (3.0 to 3.1 in) long. Bumblebee Hummingbird (Selasphorus heloisa) Bumblebee HummingbirdSelasphorus heloisaThe bumblebee hummingbird is 5.9 to 7.5 cm (2.3 to 3.0 in) long and weighs 2 to 2.7 g (0.071 to 0.095 oz); it is one of the smallest hummingbirds. Wine-throated Hummingbird (Selasphorus ellioti) Wine-throated HummingbirdSelasphorus elliotiThe wine-throated hummingbird is 6.5 to 7 cm (2.6 to 2.8 in) long.

Side by side: Calliope Hummingbird vs Scintillant Hummingbird · Scintillant Hummingbird vs Volcano Hummingbird · Bumblebee Hummingbird vs Scintillant Hummingbird

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