Ruby-topaz Hummingbird (Chrysolampis mosquitus)

Length: ~9 cm (3.5 in)
The Ruby-topaz Hummingbird is one of the most dazzling species in Trinidad and Tobago, frequently encountered in open country, gardens, and flowering groves, especially between January and July. At other times, many individuals are believed to migrate to the South American mainland.

The male is spectacular, with a dark reddish-brown body glossed with green, a brilliant iridescent red crown and nape, and a shimmering golden throat and breast. These colours are angle-dependent, flashing most vividly when struck by sunlight. Females and immatures are much duller, brown above and grey below, marked by a narrow black stripe from chin to breast and white-tipped outer tail feathers. The species is also characterized by its relatively short, straight bill.

This hummingbird feeds mainly on nectar, visiting flowering trees such as Samaan (Samanea saman) and Fiddlewood (Citharexylum sp.), as well as ornamental shrubs like Russelia and Ixora in gardens.

The nest is a delicate cup of plant down, carefully camouflaged with lichen and usually placed in the fork of a small branch, often at a low height. This accessible nesting habit offers a rare opportunity for close observation of a hummingbird’s breeding ecology.

• Photo captured by @suraj_ramamurthy