White-throated Mountain-gem
Encyclopedia
The White-throated Mountaingem (Lampornis castaneoventris) is a hummingbird
which breeds in the mountains of western Panama
. It is replaced in southern Costa Rica
by a distinct subspecies
, the Gray-tailed Mountaingem, L. castaneoventris cinereicauda, which is very close to becoming a distinct species (García-Moreno et al., 2006). Another very close relative, the Purple-throated Mountaingem, is found sympatrically.
This bird
is 10.5 cm long. The shortish black bill is slightly curved.
The adult male has bronze-green upperparts and underparts except for a brilliant green crown, white throat and blue tail. The female lacks the bright crown and throat, and has rich cinnamon underparts. Young birds resemble the female but have buff fringes to the upperparts plumage.
The female White-throated Mountaingem is entirely responsible for nest building and incubation. She lays two white eggs in a deep plant-fibre cup nest m high in a scrub, small tree or vine. Incubation takes 15-19 days, and fledging another 20-26.
The food of this species is nectar, taken from a variety of small flowers, including epiphytic
Ericaceae
. Like other hummingbirds it also takes small insects as an essential source of protein. Male White-throated Mountain-gems defend flowers and scrubs in their feeding territories, and are dominant over most other hummingbirds.
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
which breeds in the mountains of western Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. It is replaced in southern Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
by a distinct subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
, the Gray-tailed Mountaingem, L. castaneoventris cinereicauda, which is very close to becoming a distinct species (García-Moreno et al., 2006). Another very close relative, the Purple-throated Mountaingem, is found sympatrically.
This bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
is 10.5 cm long. The shortish black bill is slightly curved.
The adult male has bronze-green upperparts and underparts except for a brilliant green crown, white throat and blue tail. The female lacks the bright crown and throat, and has rich cinnamon underparts. Young birds resemble the female but have buff fringes to the upperparts plumage.
The food of this species is nectar, taken from a variety of small flowers, including epiphytic
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
The Ericaceae, commonly known as the heath or heather family, is a group of mostly calcifuge flowering plants. The family is large, with roughly 4000 species spread across 126 genera, making it the 14th most speciose family of flowering plants...
. Like other hummingbirds it also takes small insects as an essential source of protein. Male White-throated Mountain-gems defend flowers and scrubs in their feeding territories, and are dominant over most other hummingbirds.
External links
- Variable Mountain-gem videos "Variable Mountain-gem", on the Internet Bird Collection