OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Cyanerpes ("dark blue creeper") cyaneus ("dark blue")
Red-legged Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes cyaneus) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025
Weight: 14g / Length: 12cm / Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern
A small member of the tanagers that has specialised as a nectarivore, the males are a striking rich blue and black with distinctive red legs while the females are a more camoflaged muted green. Despite appearances, they are unrelated to species like hummingbirds or sunbirds which have a similar ecological niche. The red legs are the most obvious identifying feature in Costa Rica to differentiate it from the closely related Shining Honeycreeper, which has bright yellow legs.
Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Genus: Cyanerpes
SUBSPECIES: C. c. carneipes, C. c. pacificus, C. c. gigas, C. c. gemmeus, C. c. eximius, C. c. tobagensis, C. c. cyaneus, C. c. dispar, C. c. violaceus, C. c. brevipes, C. c. holti
- Sighting Locations -
A common species on West Coast lowlands
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
No comments:
Post a Comment