Plain Capped Starthroat

Next up on my alphabetical series of "5" Star Photos we come to the Plain Capped Starthroat. This large hummingbird is a rare visitor to the United States. You usually have to watch the Arizona bird reports and head out to a specific location if and when it has been sighted. The Starthroat has been reported in Montosa Canyon, Ash Canyon, Miller Canyon, and Patagonia over the past five years. In 2012 there were no US sightings.

At five inches it dwarfs the more common hummers. (Only the Blue Throated and Magnificent are larger: five and a quarter inches). The Starthroat has the longest bill of any hummer and a very distinctive large white stripe down its back. White "lightning bolts" on its head and a purple "lightning" bolt on its throat also make it easy to identify.

Plain Capped Starthroat