Red-billed Streamertail (male) by Seth

During the first week of our time in Jamaica, all of us were able to see the three species of Jamaican hummingbirds, although none of us had gotten a really good look at the prize: a male Red-billed Streamertail. Male Red-billed Streamertails are iridescent green with a black cap and two extremely long tail feathers that flutter behind the birds when they flit around. The birds move quite quickly and are often in and out of your field of view in a flash, but their call is relatively loud–as is the hum from their wings–so with practice you can locate them eventually.

Jamaican Mango by Seth

Jamaican Mangos are the largest hummingbird in the country and very recognizable given their flashy purple plumage and strongly decurved bills. From what I’ve noticed they perch for fairly long periods scanning their territory for intruders (most hummingbirds do something like this all the time), and this offers good photo opportunities.

Vervain Hummingbird by Seth

Finally, the tiny Vervain Hummingbird is the island’s smallest avian representative and has a minuscule bill that makes it look even cuter than hummingbirds normally do. The only thing more adorable than a Vervain that I’ve seen is a hummingbird chick, like the two below that were pointed out to Justin by a friendly local outside of Albert Town. (We were careful not to disturb the nest in any way when taking the photo.)

Unidentified hummingbird nest by Seth