A new bird species has been identified in Northern Peru: the White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora), a member of the hummingbird family measuring 12 cm (4 in) in length, on average.

The sighting was made in Cerros de Amotape National Park by a delegation of four ornithologists and a park ranger who were part of a SERNANP (Peru's Park Service) expedition.

Adult males have a blue head and breast, a dark-blue hood, iridescent green upper parts, and a white abdomen and tail. And, as the name suggests, they have a white crescent on the neck. 

The Jacobin ranges widely from Mexico to Peru, Bolivia and southern Brazil. They can often be seen visiting the flowers of tall trees and epiphytes for nectar; and hawking for insects.

This brings the number of bird species in Peru to 1,830, reconfirming her status as a paradise for birders. Many of these species can be spotted on the Great Northern Peru Birding Route. 

Cerros de Amotape receives very few overseas visitors, but if you have a hankering to see the White-necked Jacobin, or any other of the park's flora and fauna, just ask us how.