Bananaquit
From Costa Rica Travel Guide: Vacation and Travel tips
Bananaquit
In Costa Rica, the bananaquit is easily recognizable by its bright yellow breast feathers and is found in most regions of the country, except those areas with tropical dry forest. Also they are rarely seen at the higher elevations. On the Caribbean slope, the bananaquit makes its home throughout the lowland and middle elevations and on the Pacific side they can be found in southern lowlands areas and middle elevations. Besides Costa Rica, the bananaquit is commonly found on the mainland from southern Mexico to Argentina and occupies most of the Caribbean Islands and although infrequently, can be spotted in Florida as well.
Physical Description
The adult bananaquit is approximately 10 to 11.5 cm in length and males weigh 10 g while the females are 9 g. It has a dark, slender, curved beak; perfect for reaching the rich nectar in flowers. In Costa Rica, the bananquits back and wings are a dark gray with a white spot on the wings. The underside of the bird is a distinct bright yellow while its throat is gray, the head and eye mask are black with a white stripe located just above the eye. There are slight differences between the male and female bananaquit. The female’s crown is darker, her throat more whitish than gray, and her tail is more of an olive-yellow shade. The juvenile bananaquit has feathers that are more dull than its parents’ and appear more olive-yellow over its entire body. (With geographic variation along its range, this species contains 35 subspecies, therefore, plumage varies slightly. For example, in some species, the throat is a lighter shade of gray than the back and the tail-feathers can be tipped white, and sometimes the bananaquit can be entirely black, while still others seem to be missing certain colors or definition in their plumage).
Habitat
The bananaquit is rather abundant and can be found in many areas around Costa Rica. The bird is fast paced, almost frantic in its movements, but not colonial. It tends to be solitary and nomadic and does not show any evidence of claiming individual territories. They are present in open fields, areas of cover, rain forests, and even in certain desert areas. They have been observed at a variety of elevations (low to mid), but are most commonly seen in lowlands. The bananaquit will also forge in areas where humans are present, such as clearings, gardens and parks and after time, seem to become somewhat tame around humans.
Food Source/Diet
The primary source of food for the bananaquit is nectar from flowers, especially the flowers of large trees. The bananaquit uses trees like the Erythrina and Symphonia as a preferred nectar source but also frequents Hibiscus and Allamanda, and plays the role of pollinator for Stachytarphets. It uses its sharp, narrow beak to pierce flowers from the side to feed, much like a hummingbird. Although the bananaquit can’t hover like a hummingbird, it will perch while feeding and will often hang upside down from a branch instead of sitting upright. It should be noted since the bananaquit does often get its flower nectar through the side of the flower, it retrieves the nectar strictly for its own benefit, in other words, the flower is either left unpollinated or will die. Although nectar is primary, the bananaquit eats a number of other foods, that include fruits (especially ripe bananas), as well as, flies, beetles, caterpillars, ants, bees and spiders they pick from the undersides of leaves and branches.
Reproduction
Reproduction varies slightly among the subgroups of bananaquits, but typically they will raise several clutches within a year and normally the breeding season lasts for approximately 5 months. In some regions the bananaquit breeds at the end of the dry season. Breeding is also often synchronized with the first rains early in the wet season. That said, at other times, breeding does not seem to follow any relationship to the seasonal weather patterns. More often than not, males court females without becoming defensive towards other males during the process. Courtship rituals involve facing each other, bowing and bobbing, turning heads, scraping, and flying around somewhat erratically. Once established, they will build their brooding nest, made of grass, narrow leaves, and twigs. This is different than the roosting nest, which both male and female have separate from each other. The roosting nest is a globe-shaped nest using leaves, grasses, and small plant fibers and has a distinct side entrance lined with pieces/parts of smaller materials like feathers and paper. The male is involved in the process before the female lays her eggs and will stay close to her during this time, protecting the area and gathering materials for the brooding nest. A brood will consist of one to three eggs. The eggs are white-cream in color with brownish spots. Once the eggs have been laid and incubation has begun the male becomes less involved. He will return to singing around his own nest and courting other potential mates. Females are responsible for incubation, feeding and protecting the young from other male and female bananaquits, as well as other predators. Some males will help in the feeding and protecting of the young, but this doesn’t appear to be the norm.
At this time, the bananaquit are in no way considered endangered.
