Slaty Flowerpiercer (Diglossa plumbea)

I am reviewing my pictures from Costa Rica and found a series of pictures that show the Slaty Flowerpiercer. The Slaty Flowerpiercer is named, because of their habit of piercing base of flowers to retrieve the nectar. Their bill is upturned with a hooked upper mandible and they have a brush-like tongue that aids in retrieving the nectar.

The Slaty Flowerpiercer is found in the Highlands of Nicaragua South through Costa Rica and to western Panama. Although it has a limited range, it is not thought to be a threatened species.

As its name implies, the slaty flowerpiercer pierces the base of the flowers of shrubs and epiphytes with its bill and extracts the nectar through the hole with a brush-like tongue. It also feeds on tiny insects taken from foliage or in flight. It is attacked by territorial hummingbirds defending their feeding areas, and then retreats to dense cover.