Lowland Hermits

Blue-throated Goldentail

field guide

real-life

Stripe-throated Hermit

variation

Bronzy Hermit

Long-billed Hermit

Band-tailed

Barbthroat

juv.

Many colors on hummingbirds are iridescent, and lighting

plays a huge role in how these appear in life. The plate

illustrations show how colors would ideally look if

perfectly lit, but this is rarely the case. Compare the

‘field guide’ male Blue-throated Goldentail at right

with a more ‘real-life’ view at far right, and bear

this in mind when viewing hummers in the field.

The main problems lie with throat patches

(known as gorgets) and crown patches, which

often appear dark or colorless, and with tail

coloration, which can change greatly with

only a slight change in light angle.