The Hummingbird Effect

Discover how tiny hummingbirds influence their many flowering kingdoms and their ripple effects on macaws, quetzals, monkeys, tapirs and more. Set in the exotic landscapes of Costa Rica.

No bigger than a human thumb, the volcano hummingbird exists only in the Talamanca Mountains. But their appetite is anything but small, as they must replenish 12,000 calories a day from the tiny mountain flowers that suit their miniature bill.

Male and female white-necked jacobins vastly differ in color, making females a target for constant harassment. But one out of every five females keeps their “male” costume, holding onto their bright blue coloring. This “deceptive coloration” lets her slip through the crowd of rowdy males unnoticed.

During mating season, long-billed hermit males gather in groups for a talent contest called a “lek.” From a perch, one male begins a courtship ritual that starts with a series of chirps. Other males join in and soon a chorus fills the forest. A whole song is squeezed into one chirp.

The white-tipped sicklebill is one of Costa Rica's most elusive hummingbirds. Filmmakers turned to Costa Rican expert Anthony Jimenez to help them locate and film the bird.

Follow Diego Arauz Chaves, an ecotourism guide in Costa Rica, as he takes filmmakers on his boat into the mangroves to get up close to a Capuchin troop he knows intimately. These capuchins represent one of the most charismatic animals in the area and beneficiaries of hummingbirds in these areas.