Green-Breasted Mango Hummingbird Surprises Wisconsin

The first green-breasted mango hummingbird ever seen in Wisconsin has spawned a tsunami of interest among local birders, who have flocked to the home of Joan Salzberg in such numbers that she and her neighbors have had to turn them away, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

The green-breasted mango hummingbird is native to Mexico and parts of northern South America. It's occasionally seen in Texas, but trips north of the border are very rare. This is thought to be the first one seen north of North Carolina.

Because it's a rare bird, and a strikingly beautiful hummingbird at that -- glittering green with a demurely curved black beak, a purple chin and purple and green tail feathers -- it makes news among birders when it shows up.

The network of birders is amazingly strong, and reports of rare birds are broadcast via cell phone, pda, newsletter, email and every other conceivable form of communication. Birders often keep life lists and the like to keep track of the birds they've seen, so the opportunity to see a bird far from home is almost as good -- or better -- than taking a vacation to see birds in their native habitats.

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