17323: (Chamberlain) Kolibri discussion (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

(a friend who is not a group member, when told about the discussion,
sent me these comments and suggested they might be posted in
Corbettland.  His observations are from a visit to Haiti n August last
year)


FROM:   Robert Machover, INTERNET:bmac@blast.net


1) I saw several Narrow-billed Todys at high elevation at the Parc La
Visite
(in the Massif de la Selle between Port-au-Prince and Jacmel).  My
impression
was that they are locally common within a very limited and disappearing
area
...i.e. remnant high elevation pine forests.
2) I saw one Broad-billed Tody in the "gardens" surrounding the "beach
resort" at Kyona, along the coast north of Port-au-Prince. I think they are
relatively uncommon.
3) I saw one Antillean Mango (a comparatively large hummingbird) at the
Parc
La Visite.  I suspect they are common in the higher mountains wherever and
whenever flowering shrubs are in bloom.
4) The grounds of the Oloffson Hotel in Port-au-Prince (low elevation) were
filled with numerous Vervain Hummingbirds.  I imagine they are common in
many low elevation gardens, i.e. wherever palms and other "tropical" plant
species are present.  By the way, the Vervain Hummingbird is the second
smallest bird in the world - only the Bee Hummingbird of Cuba ( a close
relative) is smaller.
5) Colibri is a widespread name for Hummingbird throughout Latin America.
It is also the name for Hummingbird in France - where there are no
Hummingbirds outside of zoos, since all hummingbirds occur naturally only
in
the Western Hemisphere.
6) There is a birding tour operation in Peru, run by a Swede, named Kolibri
Expeditions.  They offer bare-bones (few amenities, rugged travel,
adventure
to remote places, etc.) trips throughout South America in search of
rarities
and hard-to-find species.