Diglossa plumbea, Slaty Flowerpiercer

See eestikeelse nimeta väike (ca 10 cm pikkune) lind on Costa Rica ja Panama endeemne liik. Ning ka nendes riikides ei ela ta igal pool, vaid ainult mägedes, kõrgemal kui 1,2 km merepinnast. Nagu pildilt näha, on tal üsna eriskummalise kujuga nokk, mida lind kasutab õite põhjadesse aukude tegemiseks, et sealt siis nektar kätte saada. Sellise käitumisega on ta aga koolibride vihane konkurent, mistõttu konfliktid ei ole harvad. Reeglina jääb see kõvernokk koolibridele alla ning on sunnitud pagema. Quetzalite rahvuspark, Costa Rica.

Slaty Flowerpiercer is a small (length 10cm in average) passerine bird, endemic to Costa Rica and Panama. And it is not found everywhere in these countries but only in the mountains that are 1200 metres or higher. As you can see from the photo, the bird has quite a peculiar shaped bill - this is for a good reason. As its name implies, the slaty flowerpiercer pierces the base of the flowers and extracts the nectar through the hole. Doing that, it is a fierce competitor for hummingbirds and therefore the conflicts are not uncommon. Usually the flowerpiecer retreats rather quickly. Parque Nacional Los Quetzales, Costa Rica.