Ala de Sable Violaceo

Description:

For weeks this beautiful hummingbird has been trying to feed on my feeders but the 5 Rufous Tail Hummingbirds that feed here, chase him away...Well today he fought them all, 5 of them and feed on the feeder and on the dwarf banana plant. I am hoping he stays.

Notes:

The Violet Sabrewing is one of the largest hummingbirds in the world, matched in size only by a few other species, and surpassed only by the Giant Hummingbird. This abundant but distinct species resembles no other in Costa Rica. Although the male and female have divergent plumage, they share the wide, long tail with bright white corner feathers, wide wing feathers, conspicuous size, and the long, curved bill reminiscent of a hermit, such as the Long-tailed Hermit. The female's bill is especially curved; she is dark green with a gray underside and a violet throat. The male's plumage grants the species its name: his head and most of his body is a deep, solid violet, with dark green on some wing feathers and the lower back, a blackish tail, and the aforementioned white tail corners.