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Possible Green Mango at Castellow Hammock
Stopped by Castellow Hammock on way north to MIA to search for the Buff-bellied Hummingbird. Managed to find and photograph that species and saw a female Ruby-throated. A third species of hummer was seen in the upper reaches of the hummingbird garden feeding on a red tubular flower. It was a medium sized hummer perched with his back to me. A brilliant dark green patch of emerald green on the middle of the back really got my attention. The bird reversed position facing me and thoroughly confused me as I've seen all regular North American species. There was a broad dark patch or irregularly shaped line a third as wide as the breast than ran directly down the middle of the breast from the throat all the way to the undertook coverts and it was flanked by a patch of white on either side of this broad dark area. The white was white not dull grayish background like a female ruby-throat. The bird directly faced me so I never got a look at the bill but the broad dark swath down the center of the breast seems to be only typical of Green Mango after perusing all the world's hummers in various guides. Hope someone can confirm this as it was most unique. It kept in the canopy on the SE side of the butterfly garden. I did not see it again after first sighting.
Comments
The only mango species that has been previously documented in the United States is Green-breasted Mango (over 20 records, including Georgia). This would be a first state record -- someone should go out there quick to investigate and document!
Carlos
I arrived at 8:30am and left by 10 but did not see the mango. Both Buff-bellied Hummingbirds and several Ruby-throateds were working the area. May come back after the weather clears. Good luck to anyone looking!
Meant to say "Green-breasted Mango" the more likely mango sp. to show up. Hope it shows again.
Hi All,
That would be a real SCORE! Would have to make the 4-5 hour trip to see that one!!!
Dave
Yes, indeed a Green-breasted Mango would be quite a coup for Florida! By the way, has anyone looked critically at the Buff-bellied [or Buff-bellieds] to see if subspecific determination is possible. To the best of my knowledge, the northernmost form chalconata is the only one documented for the United States. If a different subspecies were determined, that would suggest an arrival route different from the presumed northward up the Texas coast, across Mississippi/Alabama, down peninsular Florida route that is generally thought to be used by the Buff-bellieds wintering on the northern Gulf Coast.
I spent about 3 hours looking from about 11am to 2 pm in the rain with my camera . When the rain let up I saw both Ruby-throated and Buff-bellied, but no Mango... I'm curious to which red flowers Bob was talking about. Seems to me he was describing Fire Bush... but in the rain there are red flower that are closed making them look tubular as well on the interior of the garden. Check out http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Anthracothorax-viridis for the call. It is a much higher pitch than any of the hummers at Castello. I do recall hearing something like that on the day of the first report weeks ago. I did not hear anything like that today.
Bird seen at 430 and 5pm feeding in flowers near campfire pit.
Got here just after last sighting. We haven't seen the possible Mango since Joah saw it
ID is confirmed?
Meant to say Josh not Joah. Nobody has gotten a pic yet. I'll be back in the morning but I don't have a good camera
The red tubular flowering vine where I saw the possible mango was on the SE side of the hummingbird garden about 25 feet up. The bird perched lower for maybe 20 seconds where I had a decent look at it then it zoomed away.
The "red tubular flowering vine" is probably red firespike (Odontonema cuspidatum). It's not a vine but the stems are scrambling vine-like trying to reach some sunlight. I apologize for the County for letting that butterfly and hummingbird garden get so overgrown since I left in 2010. WTF?
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