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Cyanerpes lucidus
First time that I have photographed this species in Costa Rica...The books say that the Purple Honeycreeper is found only as far north as Panama...My error, it is a Shining Honeycreeper, visibly the same as the Purple Honeycreeper...
Thank you, Anne Marie....It must be a Shining Honeycreeper which is found in Costa Rica, though this is my first time photographing this species except for the Red-legged Honeycreeper that I posted a while ago...again, thank you...
From what I am reading, while they were once considered conspecific, the official word at the moment is that Purple and Shining Honeycreepers are separate species. Their range overlaps in Panama but they do not interbreed. As this was spotted in Costa Rica, it would therefore be Shining Honeycreeper. Visually, to me, they look exactly the same!
I can't see any difference between Purple Honeycreeper and Shining Honeycreeper - apparently they are considered by some to be conspecific...
Obviously I can only see the head (beautiful shot!), but could this be a Shining Honeycreeper? Do you have a shot showing the legs. Shining Honeycreeper has bright yellow legs.
Spotted on Apr 13, 2013
Submitted on Apr 14, 2013
