White-necked Jacobin
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| iWhite-necked Jacobin | ||||||||||||||
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| Florisuga mellivora (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) is a large and attractive hummingbird that ranges from Mexico south to Peru, Bolivia and south Brazil. It is also found on Tobago and in Trinidad, but breeding has not been proved on the latter island.
Other common names are Great Jacobin and Collared Hummingbird.
The White-necked Jacobin but is a widespread inhabitant of forest, mostly at higher elevations, being seen usually at a high perch or just above the canopy. It is less common at lower elevations.
The 12 cm long male White-necked Jacobin is unmistakable with its white belly and tail, a white band on the nape and a dark blue hood. Females and the similar immature males are bronze-green above and are less obvious. Their speckled green underparts and white tail tips are shared with the female Green-crowned Brilliant, but that species has a white moustachial stripe and a straighter bill. Some young Andean Emerald have speckling extending across their breast, but it is never as heavy as in the White-necked Jacobin. The black and white scaling on the vent of the Jacobin is a good field mark.
These birds usually visit flowers of tall trees and epiphytes for nectar, and also hawk for insects.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Florisuga mellivora. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Birds of Venezuela by Hilty, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
- Birds of Trinidad and Tobago by ffrench, ISBN 0-7136-6759-1
- A guide to the birds of Costa Rica by Stiles and Skutch ISBN 0-08-149600-4
