2024—When Is a Hummingbird Not a Hummingbird?

When is a Hummingbird not a Hummingbird? When it’s a Snowcap or a Woodnymph or a Plumeleteer. Or, when it’s a Jacobin like this White-necked Jacobin I photographed in central Costa Rica last week. I hadn’t realized that what I think of as a Hummingbird can go by so many common names other than Hummingbird. There’s even the Emerald and the Mango. And, in some cases, there are multiples of each type, like the Striped-throated Hermit and the Green Hermit. We even saw a few that are actually called Hummingbirds like the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird. We saw and photographed all of these flying jewels during our week there. What a treat it was to be surrounded by these tiny, feisty, gorgeous birds, species we do not see in the Unites States.