Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia edward)
Name Origin:
The genus Amazilia comes from a fictional Incan heroine in a French novel by Jean-François Marmontel. The species name edward honors French ornithologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards.
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 8.5–10 cm (3.3–3.9 in)
⚖️ Weight: ~4.2–4.8 g (0.15–0.17 oz)
🌎 Range: Southern Costa Rica through Panama into extreme northwest Colombia
🧭 Elevation: Sea level to 1,800 m (5,900 ft), most common below 1,200 m
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small insects
🏡 Habitat: Humid forest edges, second growth, gardens, and plantations
🧬 Clade: Trochilini (“Emeralds”)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)
Subspecies & Distribution
Four subspecies:
Amazilia edward niveoventer
Distribution: Southwestern Costa Rica to western and central Panama, including Coiba Island.Amazilia edward edward
Distribution: Panama from the Canal Zone east to western Darién; vagrant record in Chocó, Colombia.Amazilia edward collata
Distribution: Central Panama.Amazilia edward margaritarum
Distribution: Northern Gulf of Panama (Pearl Islands and islands including Taboga, Taboguilla, and Urabá) and eastern Panama (southwestern Darién).
Species Overview
The Snowy-bellied Hummingbird is a stocky, medium-sized species found throughout much of southern Central America. Its name refers to the distinctive white underparts that contrast with its iridescent green upperparts and bluish chest. It is a common visitor to flowering gardens and forest edges and is often seen perching openly between foraging bouts.
Male Description:
Green upperparts, deep blue or violet central chest, and snowy white belly. Tail is slightly forked and dark with a bluish gloss. Bill is straight and mostly red with a black tip.
Female Description:
Similar to male but with duller coloration, less extensive blue on the chest, and a slightly shorter bill.
Habitat & Behavior:
This species frequents the edge of humid forests, shrubby clearings, and gardens, especially in foothills. It is territorial and aggressive at feeders and flowering shrubs. Commonly perches in exposed spots and gives a high, dry tsip call. Feeds on a wide variety of nectar sources and supplements diet with insects.
Conservation Note:
Listed as Least Concern, the Snowy-bellied Hummingbird remains common within its core range and adapts well to altered habitats like plantations and gardens. However, localized habitat loss from deforestation may impact some populations, particularly on islands or in fragmented foothill forests. Stable in protected and disturbed areas alike.
Below is the Snowy-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia edward niveoventer)
Photographed at Bosque Del Tolomuco, San José, Costa Rica
These individuals belong to the subspecies niveoventer, which occurs from southwestern Costa Rica into western and central Panama, including Coiba Island. It inhabits foothill and lowland forests, second growth, and flowering gardens from near sea level to around 1,800 meters. This subspecies is characterized by its bright white belly contrasting with a bluish-violet chest patch and vibrant green upperparts.
