Volcano Hummingbird

The "chispita" (Selasphorus sp.) Hummingbirds of Costa Rica. From left to right: Volcano Hummingbird (torridus subspecies), Scintillant Hummingbird, Volcano Hummingbird (simoni subspecies)  ©Tyler Wenzel

Scientific name: Selasphorus flammula

Location: Semi endemic to Costa Rica (2 of 3 are endemic)

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Population: 20,000 - 49,999

Trend: Stable

Few hummingbirds have an identification history as labyrinthine as that of Costa Rica's uniquely colored Volcano Hummingbird (Selasphorus flammula). The Volcano has led taxonomists on a merry chase, first being classified as three separate species — and one of those three was actually considered to be a subspecies of an entirely different hummingbird. For much of the 20th century authors and researchers debated how to define the relationship between these three closely related birds who breed on different volcanoes and mountains, then may be found together at other times of year.

Finally, a century after the first Volcano Hummingbird was identified, an ornithologist named Gary Stiles evaluated the mating behavior, color, and tail shape of the three populations. As a result they were grouped together as three subspecies under the Volcano Hummingbird umbrella. That classification has held since the 1980s.

As one of the nine species in the Selasphorus genus, the Volcano Hummingbird is closely related to North America's Rufous, Allen's, Broad-tailed and Calliope Hummingbirds.

Beards of a feather ...

Across the Volcano's three subspecies, the females closely resemble each other but the males display extreme variations in their gorgets. Males of the flammula subspecies, which lives on the Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes, sport an exquisite mauve-purple gorget. Most males of the torridus subspecies resident in the Talamanca mountains have an ashy steely-purple gorget, but some have a green gorget often mixed with some purple. These color morphs were briefly considered different species in the past. Meanwhile, the rosy-throated simoni subspecies found on the Poás and Barva volcanoes was at times considered a subspecies of the endangered Glow-throated Hummingbird (Selasphorus ardens) endemic to Panama.  

A female Volcano Hummingbird (torridus subspecies) fends off a larger Lesser Violetear. ©Tyler Wenzel

A tiny bird on tall mountains

A tiny hummingbird at just over 3 inches (8 cm), the Volcano Hummingbird and its close relative the Scintillant Hummingbird are known as Costa Rica's "chispita" (little spark) hummingbirds.

As its name implies, the Volcano Hummingbird generally resides high in the mountains at elevations between 6500 and 11,500 feet (2000-3500 meters). It is commonly found in open páramo — high-elevation tropical grassland dotted with short trees and scrub bushes. It's easy to see in the right habitat and regularly visits feeders and verbena (Stachytarpheta) flowers. The bird’s short bill restricts it to feeding from small flowers that aren't attractive to larger species — an estimated 2,700 flowers per day!

Despite its limited range, its population is stable with an IUCN status of "Least Concern." In fact, numbers of the Volcano Hummingbird may have actually increased over the last 150 years due to its preference for open habitat rather than forests. The deforestation that has negatively affected so many species seems to have benefited the Volcano Hummingbird. In a world where so much is being lost, that is good news indeed.

--Thank you to Tyler Wenzel, who contributed this story. Tyler is a Costa Rica-based nature photographer and educator and Digital Media Coordinator for the New Jersey-based Wild Bird Research Group. He specializes in hummingbird photography and is writing a book on the hummingbirds of Costa Rica. His photography can be seen on Instagram @TylerWenzelPhotogaphy or at tylerwenzel.com

The International Hummingbird Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization dedicated to educating people about hummingbirds and working internationally to protect them.