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Plain-capped Starthroat Heliomaster constantii
This species ranges along much of the Pacific slope from northern Mexico to northwest Costa Rica, though it just crosses onto the Caribbean slope in places. Howell and Webb do not include this species in the western part of Guatemala. It is generally a species of drier habitats than the closely related Long-billed Starthroat, which is sympatric over much of its range on the Pacific slope. I have still only ever identified one Plain-capped Starthroat with certainty, which was in the gardens of the Perkin Lenka Hotel in Perquin in El Salvador. Starthroats are prone to sitting for long periods on exposed twigs at the top of bushes and small trees. This makes them fairly conspicuous, so my lack of sightings must imply that they are pretty uncommon in the region. A friend, John Jackson visited Walter Deininger on 18th December 2004 and found a nest, with a bird that appeared to be sitting on eggs (see photo above).