Green Breasted-Mango Hummingbird

GREEN-BREASTED MANGO – (Anthracothorax prevostii)

Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Anthracothorax
Species: A. prevostii

The Green-breasted Mango hummingbird is seen on the eastern shores of Colombia, Venezuela, Central America, and central and southern Mexico.

It is a hummingbird species that gets its name from its characteristic and distinctive green breast, which is especially noticeable in males.

Male
Green-Breasted Mango Hummingbirds:

Male Green-breasted Mango hummingbirds have iridescent emerald green plumage on their back and crown that shimmers in sunlight.

A velvety black stripe runs down their throat and breast, contrasting sharply with the green.

Their dark wings and tail often display a bluish or purplish sheen, adding to their striking appearance.

The Green-breasted Mango is a relatively large hummingbird, measuring 4.3 to 4.7 inches long and weighing 7 to 8 grams.

The metal plate that shields the wearer’s throat during combat to prevent injuries is the inspiration behind the name of the gorget on a male hummingbird.

This name is acceptable and fitting to characterize the physical characteristics of male hummingbirds, since they fight fiercely for their own territory.

Read my article:
Hummingbird Gorgets Explained

Female
Green-Breasted Mango Hummingbirds:

The female Green-breasted Mango has a metallic green back and crown with a more subdued appearance than the male. 

The female Green-breasted Mango hummingbird has a distinctive dark green to black stripe that runs down the center of the breast, beginning from the throat.
This stripe is a key identifying feature creating a subtle yet elegant contrast.

She has a long, slightly curved bill, often darker with a black tip.
She measures 4.3 to 4.7 inches and weighs 7 to 8 grams, making her similar in size to the male.

Juvenile
Green-Breasted Mango Hummingbirds:

Both male and female juvenile Green-breasted Mango hummingbirds have a grayish-white underbelly with a central dark stripe, a feature they share with adult females.
Their upper parts display a muted green, and their tail feathers often feature white tips, which are more prominent in juveniles.

Juvenile Green-breasted Mango hummingbirds molt into their adult plumage as they mature.

As juveniles molt into their first full set of feathers, the fluffy white undertail coverts become visible.
These feathers are a distinguishing feature and are often more prominent due to their soft texture.

Baby
Green-Breasted Mango Hummingbirds:

Baby Green-breasted Mango hummingbirds are tiny, naked, and helpless at birth, with closed eyes and no feathers. They grow quickly, developing gray down within a few days.
By 2–3 weeks, pin feathers emerge, and their green plumage starts showing. 

Fed by regurgitated nectar and insects from their mother, they fledge the nest at about 3 weeks old.

See my article:
Baby Hummingbirds: (Egg to Fledgling)

Hear the sounds:
Green-breasted Mango hummingbird. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology link).

The Green-breasted Mango thrives in diverse habitats, including tropical and subtropical regions, open woodlands, forest edges, gardens, and even urban areas.

Their ability to adapt to human-altered landscapes highlights their resilience and ecological versatility, allowing them to find suitable feeding opportunities in various environments.

Their diet primarily consists of nectar, which they obtain using their long, specialized bills and rapid-flicking tongues. This nectar provides them with the high energy required for their active lifestyles.

In addition to nectar, these birds also consume small insects and spiders, which provide essential proteins.

The Green-breasted Mango plays an important pollination role.
They unintentionally spread pollen from flower to flower as they sip nectar, which promotes plant reproduction.

Male Green-breasted Mango hummingbirds perform aerial displays, diving from great heights and producing mechanical wing sounds to attract females. 

The female builds a small cup-shaped nest from plant fibers and spider webs, placing it on a sheltered branch.
She lays two white eggs, incubating them for 2–3 weeks. Their breeding season varies from late winter to early summer.

See my article:
Hummingbird Parents: (Mating to Nesting)

In terms of social behavior, the Green-breasted Mango are generally solitary birds, especially outside of the breeding season. They are territorial, with males often defending prime feeding territories from other hummingbirds.

See my article:
Why Hummingbirds Chase Each Other: Is it Friend or Foe?

The Green-breasted Mango’s ability to adapt has allowed it to flourish in its natural habitat. Because of their highly specialized vision for their habitat, they are able to identify flowers more easily than humans because they can see a wider variety of colors.

While some hummingbird species are known for long-distance migrations, the Green-breasted Mango does not undertake extensive migrations.
However, some movement may occur in response to changes in food availability and environmental conditions.

In areas where their range overlaps with human populations, the Green-breasted Mango often visit gardens with flowering plants and hummingbird feeders.

This interaction is beneficial for both the birds, who gain an additional food source, and for humans, who enjoy watching these beautiful creatures.