Charming Hummingbird
Charming Hummingbird (Polyerata decora)
Name Origin:
The genus name Polyerata comes from Greek roots poly- meaning “many” and eratē meaning “lovely” or “charming,” aptly describing this genus of radiant green hummingbirds. The species name decora also means “beautiful” or “ornamental” in Latin — together translating perfectly as “the beautiful, charming hummingbird.”
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 8.5–9 cm (3.3–3.5 in)
⚖️ Weight: 3–4 g (0.10–0.14 oz)
🌎 Range: Southern Nicaragua through Costa Rica to western Panama
🧭 Elevation: 0–1,200 m (0–3,940 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small insects
🏡 Habitat: Humid lowland and foothill forest, forest edge, and shaded plantations
🧬 Clade: Trochilini "Emeralds" (lowland hummingbirds)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)
Subspecies & Distribution
Monotypic species with no recognized subspecies.
Distribution: Found along the Caribbean slope of southern Nicaragua, throughout Costa Rica, and into western Panama (Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro provinces). It inhabits humid forest edges, clearings, and gardens, especially in areas rich in flowering shrubs and heliconias.
Species Overview
The Charming Hummingbird lives up to its name — a luminous green and blue jewel of Central America’s Caribbean foothills. It is common in the mid- to low-elevation forests of Costa Rica and western Panama, where it forages actively among flowering trees, heliconias, and ornamentals. Often seen in mixed hummingbird assemblages, it is energetic, vocal, and easily recognized by its vivid blue throat.
Male Description:
The male has bright emerald-green upperparts and underparts, a brilliant sapphire-blue throat (gorget), and a bronze-green tail with faint violet reflections. The bill is black, straight, and moderately long. The iridescent blue gorget contrasts sharply against the green breast, flashing intensely in sunlight during display.
Female Description:
The female is green above and pale grayish below with green spotting on the sides of the throat and breast. The tail is greenish-bronze with white-tipped outer feathers. She lacks the vivid blue gorget of the male but is equally active and frequent at feeders.
Habitat & Behavior:
This species prefers humid forest edges, secondary growth, and gardens in tropical lowlands and foothills. It feeds on nectar from Heliconia, Inga, Hamelia, and Costus, and supplements its diet with small insects. The Charming Hummingbird is territorial, frequently returning to favorite perches to chase intruders with sharp, squeaky calls. It often hovers in a characteristic upright posture, wings vibrating rapidly in sunlight.
Conservation Note:
The Charming Hummingbird is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and remains common and stable across much of its range. Its ability to use secondary forest, plantations, and gardens helps buffer it from localized habitat loss. Continued protection of Caribbean-slope lowland and foothill forests ensures strong populations of this radiant Trochilini hummingbird.
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