All photos copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Common Tern
Latin: Sterna hirundo
Other: Sterne pierregarin (Fr) • Charrán común (Es) • Andorinha-do-mar-comum (Pt) • Sterna comune (It) • Fluss-Seeschwalbe (De) • Visdief (Nl) • Fisktärna (Sv)
Family: Sternidae • Terns
Range: Widespread

The Common Tern is a summer visitor to the Côte d’Azur from April and good numbers can be seen in the Var estuary, where it breeds. Nests are often simple affairs - a couple of branches and a dip in the ground. One parent stays with the eggs or chicks while the other brings back fish. Common Terns seem to like to stand on rocks that just protrude from the flowing river. The dry river bed stones camouflage the birds well.

The Common Tern can be identified, in summer plumage, by its bright red bill with black tip, forked tail and red legs. In the Mediterranean it is unlikely to be confused with another tern as the only others with similar bill colour are the much larger Roseate Tern and the darker smaller Whiskered Tern, both are also less common and behave differently.

In the Northern winter Common Terns migrate south and exchange their distinctive black-tipped red bill and black cap for a black bill and white forehead. They can be distinguished from other similar terns by the dark mark on the fold of wing, very dark red legs, and tail streamers shorter than wing when standing.

Many more Common Tern photos here.









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Copyright: monacoeye • Cote d’Azur • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Yellow Legged Gull
Latin: Larus michahellis
Other: Goéland leucophée (Fr), Gabian • Gaviota patiamarilla (Es) • Gabbiano reale zampegialle (It)
Family: Laridae • Gulls
Range: Mediterranean coastline

The Yellow-legged Gull is a large gull, common in Monaco and along the Côte d’Azur in the summer.

It is closely related, and similar in appearance to, the Herring Gull and Caspian Gull, and even more closely related to the Great Black Backed Gull and Armenian Gull.

The adult (4th year) Yellow-legged Gull has black wing tips with small white windows at tips, grey upper wing, yellow bill and legs, with a large red spot on beak, pale irises with red eye-ring and red gape.

Juveniles (1st years) have dark beaks and mottled brown feathers, pink legs and feet, and dark irises.

2nd years have less brown in feathers, dark bill and irises.

3rd years have some yellow and some black on bill, pale yellow legs, pale irises, and quite a bit of grey adult feathers.

Many more Yellow-legged Gull photos here




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Copyright: monacoeye • Chiriqui, Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Scintillant Hummingbird
Latin: Selasphorus scintilla
Other: Colibrí scintilla (Es)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Costa Rica and western Chiriqui highlands in Panama.

Great little hummer this one, quite easy to see around Los Quetzales in the Chiriqui highlands of western Panama. The Scintillant Hummingbird above is either female or juvenile. Adult males, which flash a bright orange gorget, were less common - below in “more photos” is a record picture. The tail of the Scintillant Hummingbird has a rufous edge.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Chiriqui, Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Magnificent Hummingbird
Latin: Eugenes fulgens
Other: Colibrí Magnífico (Es)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Texas to western Panama

The male Magnificent Hummingbird has a wonderful bright iridescent purple cap and emerald throat combination, when seen in the right light, with white post ocular spot and the rest green mostly.

This female (lowest photo in “more photos”) is dull underneath with some purple on throat, and similar postocular spot. Seen here in the western Chiriqui highlands of Panama.

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Copyright: monacoeye • Chiriqui, Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: White Throated Mountain Gem
Latin: Lampornis castaneoventris
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Western Panama (Grey-tailed Mountain-gem in Costa Rica)

The female White-throated Mountain Gem, below, is the looker in this pair. She has a lovely buff-orange colour underneath, with a similar black eye stripe to the male, and white postocular stripe, the is rest mostly greenish. The male, above, has a white throat , green chest, greyish belly and prominent black eye stripe with bluish tail.

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Copyright: monacoeye • Chiriqui, Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Fiery Throated Hummingbird
Latin: Panterpe insignis
Other: Colibrí Insigne (Es)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Costa Rica and high western mountains of Panama.

The fantastic fiery throat isn’t showing on this bird, but the characteristic dark blue back and white postocular spot can be seen. High mountains.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Chiriqui, Panama, 4 May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Volcano Hummingbird
Latin: Selasphorus flammula
Other: Colibrí volcán (Es)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Costa Rica and Chiriqui, Panama

This seems likely to be a Volcano Hummingbird although not much colour showing. The gorget is typically purple-grey-green. Seen near the Boquete trail.

Copyright: monacoeye • El Valle, Panama, 4 May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Stripe Throated Hermit
Latin: Phaethornis striigularis
Other: Ex. Little Hermit P. longuemareus
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Mexico to Ecuador and Venezuela

The Stripe-throated Hermit is the smallest of the Panamanian Hermits. It has a relatively short tail, which is often dipped when hovering to feed. It is brownish with zorro mask and more rufous above tail.

This one was seen in the El Valle de Anton region of Panama.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy.

Bird name: Long Billed Hermit
Latin: Phaethornis longirostris
Other: Ex Long-tailed Hermit P. superciliosus
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Mexico to Ecuador and Venezuela

The Long-billed Hermit is brownish with light stripes above and below the eye. Two long white tail feathers, the rest of the tail is brown with a dark band and light fringing.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Chiriqui, Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Green Fronted Lancebill
Latin: Doryfera ludovicae
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador Bolivia and Venezuela

The Green-fronted Lancebill is not that easy to find. This one was perched above a deep-cut river in a dark, damp forest in the western highlands of Panama.

The Green-fronted Lancebill has a very long straight bill, is dull greenish mostly and greyish underneath. It has a small white spot behind the eye.

Below, in “more photos”, a Lancebill nest in the eves of a house.More photos...