There have been a few noted, yet rare sightings of the green-breasted mango hummingbird in the United States.
These beautiful birds are a larger species with slightly curved bills, found widespread throughout tropical Central America and northwestern Mexico. Juveniles are the most commonly found vagrants in parts of the United States.
The article will introduce you to this non-native bird with the information below and beautiful photos.
These large-sized hummingbirds have long, lustrous wings and triangular faces. Their bills are long and black, curved slightly downwards. Males tend to weigh slightly more than females.
These birds have a primarily green body with yellow-brown on its sides. They have a dark median stripe down their chests.
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Sometimes the coloration of a female is very similar to the male, but they can vary in plumage.
Male
Most of the male green-breasted mango hummingbird’s body is brilliant green. The outer tail feathers can range from orange-red to magenta to black-tipped purple.
Its median stripe can appear dark blue or black.
Female
The female is bronze-green with a white underbelly. Her dark median stripe looks black and changes to a dark blue-green on the throat.
Her outer tail feathers are banded with magenta and dark blue, with white-tipped feathers.
Immature green-breasted mango hummingbirds look much like females.
However, juveniles have a black, white-edged patch on their bellies. They also have some buff or gray hues on the heads and wings, and cinnamon-brown edges on the chest stripe.
Behavior
Male green-breasted mango hummingbirds establish and defend feeding territories.
They chase, perform aerial displays, and intimidate other males and pollinators, such as bumblebees and hawk moths.
This hummingbird makes a high-pitched “tsup” call and a buzzy song with multiple syllables.
Range
Green-breasted mango hummingbirds are primarily found on the eastern and southern coasts of Mexico, Central America, and larger offshore islands such as Hunting Cay, Bay, Providencia, and San Andres.
However, vagrants, often juveniles, have been spotted in the following locations in the United States:
Like other hummingbirds, green-breasted mangos eat nectar and insects. They perch and find food high in the canopies of trees, but will also feed low on blooms and from hummingbird feeders.
They drink nectar from a variety of colorful flowers from plants, trees, shrubs, herbs, and epiphytes (air plants).
In particular, they are often seen drinking from the blooms of larger trees such as Kapok, Inga, Ceiba, and Erythrina. They hover when feeding from blooms and may also hang from flowers.
Insects and spiders are consumed by catching them on the wing (hawking) or gleaning them from foliage and spider webs.
A female green-breasted mango hummingbird will eat as many as 2,000 insects daily during the breeding season.
These hummingbirds are typically found in savannas, open woodlands, orchards, and tropical deciduous forests at lower elevations of 3,000 feet.
They also visit in-range suburban habitats (gardens) with ample blooms or nectar feeders.
Breeding
Males breed with more than one female in their territory.
He courts females with high, swooping U-shaped display flights and a buzzing song. This buzzing song sounds like a repetitive “kazick-kazee”.
Outside of the initial contact for breeding, hummingbirds are solitary. The female goes on to build a nest and raise the offspring.
Nesting
The female builds a cup-shaped nest from plant fibers, feather-down, spider webs, and animal hair and camouflages the exterior with moss. It is generally located in a shrub, bush, or tree on a low, slender horizontal branch.
She lays and incubates 2 white eggs for 16 to 17 days. She feeds the hatchlings regurgitated insects to offer protein for their further development. The chicks leave the nest at about 24 days old.
Migration
Many green-breasted mango hummingbirds are permanent residents since they live in tropical, warm areas.
Birds that are breeding on the central Mexico gulf coast will move eastward for winters or south to the Pacific coast.
Conservation
The population of the green-breasted mango is healthy and strong and of the least concern.
Other countries have organizations that keep track of bird populations much like the U.S. does.
How To Attract Green-Breasted Mango Hummingbirds
While it is very rare to see a green-breasted mango hummingbird in the United States, if you live in lower southern states, a vagrant one might appear at a hummingbird feeder.
Make sure you make the perfect recipe with 1 part white sugar and 4 parts water. All hummingbirds will drink this mixture, so you’re likely to see other hummingbirds, even if this one doesn’t visit.
They also drink nectar from native and cultivated plants that are tubular- or cup-shaped. They will hover or perch and drink moving water from bird baths and water fountains.
Facts About The Green-Breasted Mango Hummingbird
They will build nests on trees covered with stinging ants (Pseudomyrmex). It is theorized they build here to use the ants as a natural protection from other predators.
Its scientific name, Anthracothoraxprevostii, is in honor of the French naturalist Florent Prévost.
The first photographed green-breasted mango hummingbird in the United States was taken in coastal Texas in September of 1988.
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Want more birds in your backyard? Get simple tips on attracting feathered friends and maximizing your bird feeding setup. Our free cheat sheet has got you covered!
James is a native Texan with a love for birding and outdoor adventures. When he's not birdwatching, you can find him hiking, camping or playing the piano.
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