SMALL BIRDS, BIG THRILLS

Costa Rica is full of dazzling hummingbirds-here are eight to add to your international bird bucket list

- KENN KAUFMAN

With their vibrant colors, hummingbirds seem as if they belong in the tropics-and they do.
Fewer than 20 species of these little gems can be found regularly in all of the United States and Canada. By contrast, the tiny, beautiful nation of Costa Rica-less than half the size of Ohio-hosts more than 50 hummingbird species. Here are a few favorites among the many types of hummingbirds that call Costa Rica home.

1.Volcano
Related to the rufous hummingbird of North America, the volcano hummingbird is a very small species living only in Costa Rica and a small portion of western Panama. It's a common resident in the high mountains, zipping about in open meadows and the edges of scrubby forests. Adult males have bright iridescent colors on the throat, but the exact color varies on different mountaintops-it varies from reddish to purple, blue-gray or green. On females, the throat is white with dark spots.

2. Fiery-Throated

When seen in the shadows, it can look like the plainest of hummingbirds, just a dull green all over. But let the light hit it just right, and the fiery-throated truly lives up to its name. The throat feathers flash a bold mix of red, gold and bronze, with dashes of blue and purple on the head, chest and tail. Fiery-throated hummingbirds are fairly common in mountainous forests that run the length of Costa Rica, but these fliers aren't seen anywhere else except parts of western Panama.

3. Long-Billed Hermit