Hummingbirds Observed in Panama – Short Version

Continuing on with birds I saw in Panama during our Red Hill Birding Tour there in March, 2023 this post will focus on hummingbirds.  Coming from the midwest where we only see one type of hummingbird regularly (Ruby-throated) with the occasional rare sightings of a couple others, the variety of Panama’s hummingbirds were stunning.  According to The Sibley Guide to Birds there are only 16 species of hummingbirds seen in the U.S., and 9 of those are rarely seen, and then only along the southernmost border with Mexico.  In contrast, there was a possibly of seeing 29 species of hummingbirds while in Panama; I managed to observe 24 of them.

I use the word “find” loosely, as most of the Panama hummingbirds found us – at feeders.  Both the Canopy Family Lodge and Tower had hummingbird feeders set up so we were able to observe them whenever we were there.  Additionally, we stopped at several residences that had multiple feeders set up in their yard to attract hummers (I’m sure the families that owned each property received compensation from Red Hill Birding for the time we spent there).  We did see hummingbirds occasionally during our trips in the countryside but it was extremely difficult to get any good pictures of them, whereas at the feeders the hummingbirds came and perched on the feeder or a nearby branch.

For brevity’s sake I’ve selected four species of hummingbirds I saw in Panama to share with you in this post.  I created another page with many more pictures of the beautiful hummingbirds we saw in Panama that you can view if you CLICK HERE.

Our first Panamanian hummingbird is the Snowy-bellied Hummingbird. This one perched quite close to me and gave me a good long stare before flitting off.  You can see some of its “snowy belly” beneath the green.

This male White-necked Jacobin was observed perched near one of the hummingbird feeders at the Canopy Tower.  It would zoom in for a sip of nectar and then zoom back to its perch.  This was the most common hummingbird we saw in Panama.

Although many hummingbirds look similar, the Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer has distinctive pink feet to help with identification.  Note the color of the tail has a bronze hue to it.

The Crowned (note the purple crown) Woodnymph is a bundle of colors.  I love the name “woodnymph” as it gives this hummer a mystical name that matches the beauty of its plumage. No, it wasn’t sleeping – just giving us a wink!

Did you like these hummers?  I created another page with many more pictures of the beautiful hummingbirds we saw in Panama that you can view if you CLICK HERE.

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