Volcano Hummingbird

Volcano Hummingbird (Selasphorus flammula)

Name Origin:
Selasphorus means "light-bearing" from Greek selas (light) and phoros (bearing), referring to their brilliant throat patches. Flammula is Latin for "little flame," referencing its fiery gorget.

Quick Facts

🪶 Length: 7.5–8 cm (3.0–3.1 in)
⚖️ Weight: 2.3–2.8 g (0.08–0.10 oz)
🌎 Range: Highland Costa Rica and W Panama
🧭 Elevation: 1,850–3,500 m (6,000–11,500 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and insects
🏡 Habitat: Montane forest, páramo, and volcanic scrub
🧬 Clade: Mellisugini – Bees
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)

Subspecies & Distribution

1. Selasphorus flammula flammula (Purple-throated)
   Distribution: Central Costa Rica, restricted to Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes.

2. Selasphorus flammula simoni (Rose-throated)
   Distribution: Central Costa Rica, primarily on Poás and Barva volcanoes.

3. Selasphorus flammula torridus (Heliotrope-throated)
   Distribution: Southern Costa Rica (Cordillera de Talamanca) and extreme western Panama (Volcán Barú).

Species Overview

The Volcano Hummingbird is one of the smallest hummingbirds in the world, endemic to the high volcanic regions of Costa Rica and western Panama. Despite its tiny size, it fiercely defends flower patches on misty mountainsides.

Male Description:
Brilliant iridescent gorget varying by subspecies (purple, rose, or heliotrope), olive-bronze upperparts, buffy flanks, and short straight bill.

Female Description:
Similar to male but lacks iridescent gorget, with dull buffy-white underparts and greenish crown and flanks.

Habitat & Behavior:
Prefers páramo, highland scrub, and windswept volcanic slopes. Often seen darting low over shrubs, feeding aggressively on small flowers, and hovering with insect-like agility.

Conservation Note:
Stable and locally common, but its restricted high-elevation range makes it vulnerable to climate change and habitat shifts.

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Below are individuals of the Volcano Hummingbird (Heliotrope-throated) (Selasphorus flammula torridus)

Photographed at:

• Batsú Gardens, Savegre, San José, Costa Rica

• Paraiso Quetzal Lodge – Km 70, San José, Costa Rica

• PN Los Quetzales – Cerro Buenavista communication towers, San José, Costa Rica

These individuals belong to the subspecies torridus, which occurs in the Cordillera de Talamanca in southern Costa Rica and barely into western Panama. It is typically found at very high elevations near treeline, favoring páramo and stunted forest. Males have a heliotrope-tinged iridescent gorget and slightly darker upperparts than the northern populations.

Below are individuals of the Volcano Hummingbird (Rose-throated) (Selasphorus flammula simoni)

Photographed at:

• Poasito–Freddo Fresas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

• Corso Lechería Tour, Alajuela, Costa Rica

• Vía sin nombre, Heredia (10.124, -84.125), Heredia, Costa Rica

These individuals belong to the subspecies simoni, found on the high volcanic peaks of Central Costa Rica, particularly Poás and Barva. Males are distinguished by a rose-colored gorget and more bronzy tones on the flanks compared to other subspecies. This subspecies occupies high-altitude scrub and montane forest edges and is locally common within its restricted range.