ABC's Bird of the Week - Mangrove Hummingbird

Trouble viewing this email? Click here to view as a webpage: http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/botw/mangrove_hummingbird.html Bird of the Week Mangrove Hummingbird It is a bit weird to be standing in the ocean, with your back to the shore, and spot a hummingbird zipping by on the way to its nest – but that is often how you spot a Mangrove Hummingbird. The Mangrove Hummingbird is unique to Costa Rica.  It forages at at the lower and middle levels of mangrove swamps and in adjacent vegetation along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, preferring to feed on the nectar of the tea mangrove. The destruction of mangroves for shrimp aquaculture, road construction, and beach and urban development is the biggest threat to this range-restricted bird.  Although logging mangroves is illegal in Costa Rica, the law is widely ignored, and the trees are often cut to make charcoal, further reducing habitat for the Mangrove Hummingbird and other vulnerable bird species. ABC, partner Osa Conservation, and local tour operators have collaborated to study the distribution of the Mangrove Hummingbird and other threatened birds on the Osa Peninsula. Find out how ABC is helping the Mangrove Hummingbird and other bird species found on the Osa Peninsula! Travel to the Osa to see the Mangrove Hummingbird and the Peninsula’s other unique birds. Your ecotourism dollars will help support the conservation of the area’s spectacular biodiversity. Visit conservationbirding.org to plan your trip today. Photo: Mangrove Hummingbird by Michael and Patricia Fogden; Range Map: ABC

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