Vorstman's Guideto the birds of Mexico and Central America

All species › Swifts › Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds | Trochilidae

Kolibries | Colibríes

With more than a hundred species in nearly fifty genera, the hummingbirds are one of the richest families of Mexico and Central America, present from desert scrub and gardens to cloud forest and high mountains; the hermits live in the shade of the rainforest understorey, most other species in open woodland, edges and flowering canopies. They are the smallest birds in the world, with a needle-like bill and a long tongue, forked at the tip, with which they lap up nectar. The wing turns almost entirely from the shoulder, so that they can hover and even fly backwards, beating dozens of times a second. This requires an exceptionally high metabolism; at night they can enter torpor and lower their body temperature to save energy. Besides nectar they take small insects and spiders, the main source of protein for the young. The feet are so small that they cannot walk, only perch. In many species the male has a metallic gorget or crown that flashes only at the right angle. The female alone builds a tiny cup of plant down and spider silk, often covered with lichen, and lays two white eggs. Several North American species winter in the region.

Native species 108 species

Species that occur here by nature: breeding birds, winter visitors and passage migrants. They are arranged by genus, in the sequence of the list.

Florisuga 1 species

Eutoxeres 1 species

Glaucis 2 species

Threnetes 1 species

Phaethornis 5 species

Doryfera 1 species

Colibri 3 species

Androdon 1 species

Heliothryx 1 species

Chrysolampis 1 species

Anthracothorax 3 species

Haplophaedia 1 species

Heliodoxa 1 species

Discosura 1 species

Lophornis 4 species

Lampornis 7 species

Lamprolaima 1 species

Eugenes 2 species

Panterpe 1 species

Heliomaster 2 species

Tilmatura 1 species

Philodice 2 species

Calothorax 2 species

Doricha 2 species

Archilochus 2 species

Calypte 2 species

Selasphorus 9 species

Phaeoptila 1 species

Cynanthus 6 species

Chlorostilbon 1 species

Basilinna 2 species

Pampa 2 species

Abeillia 1 species

Klais 1 species

Campylopterus 1 species

Chalybura 2 species

Thalurania 1 species

Microchera 3 species

Goldmania 2 species

Eupherusa 5 species

Phaeochroa 1 species

Ramosomyia 2 species

Saucerottia 5 species

Amazilia 4 species

Chrysuronia 3 species

Polyerata 2 species

Chlorestes 3 species