Red-legged Honeycreeper

Identification

The red-legged honeycreeper is a small songbird, averaging 12.2 cm long and weighing just 14 g. Males are strikingly colourful, displaying violet-blue plumage with a turquoise crown, contrasting sharply with black wings, tail, and back. Bright red legs give the species its distinctive name. In flight, males reveal a distinctive lemon-yellow underwing. Females and immature birds are predominantly green with paler, faintly streaked underparts and red-brown to brown legs. Both sexes have a medium-long, slightly decurved black bill. After breeding season, males moult into eclipse plumage that is mainly greenish with black wings, making them less conspicuous. The bird's call is a thin, high-pitched tsip.

Range & Habitat

The red-legged honeycreeper is found across the tropical New World, from southern Mexico south through Central America to Peru, Bolivia, and central Brazil. It also inhabits Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba, where it may have been introduced. Rarely, it appears in southern Texas. The species favours forest edges, open woodlands, and cultivated areas including cocoa and citrus plantations. It is often encountered in small groups and is common and widespread throughout its range.

Behaviour & Diet

This honeycreeper feeds on a varied diet of insects, seeds, fruit, and nectar. An interesting behavioural quirk is that it readily responds to the call of the ferruginous pygmy owl, making it relatively easy to locate by birdwatchers who mimic this call. Breeding in Costa Rica occurs between April and June. The female builds a delicate, cup-shaped nest from stiff fibres, attached to supporting twigs with cobwebs and placed several metres high in a shrub or tree. She lays two white eggs with brown speckles in a ring pattern around the larger end, incubating them for 12 to 13 days. Nestlings fledge after approximately 14 days, with both parents sharing feeding duties.

Best Time & Places to See It

The red-legged honeycreeper is common and widespread, making it accessible to travellers throughout its extensive range. It can be found year-round in suitable habitat. The breeding season in Costa Rica (April to June) may be particularly rewarding for observing nesting behaviour and family groups. Look for small flocks at forest edges and in open woodlands. The species' ready response to ferruginous pygmy owl calls makes it relatively approachable for patient observers.

Photography Tips

The male's vibrant violet-blue and turquoise plumage with contrasting black markings and bright red legs makes for striking photographs. Capture males in good light to showcase their iridescent colours fully. The lemon-yellow underwing is only visible in flight, so attempt flight shots to record this distinctive feature. Females and immatures are more subdued and may require careful positioning to distinguish from other green honeycreepers. Small group behaviour offers opportunities for multi-subject compositions. Early morning light will enhance the blue tones of breeding males, while the bird's responsiveness to calls provides chances for close approach and detailed portraits.