Blue-throated Hummingbird
Encyclopedia
The Blue-throated Mountaingem or Blue-Throated Hummingbird, Lampornis clemenciae, is a species of hummingbird
, a member of the Trochilidae family of bird
s.
The Blue-throated Mountaingem is a fairly large hummingbird, reaching 11.5 to 12.5 cm (4½ to 5 inches) in length and 6 to 10 grams in weight. The Blue-throated Hummingbird is dull green on the top of its body, fading to medium gray on its belly. It has a conspicuous white stripe behind its eye and a narrower stripe extending backward from the corner of its bill, bordering a blackish cheek patch. Its tail feathers are iridescent blue-black with broad white tips on the outer two to three pairs. The species gets its name from the adult male's iridescent blue throat patch (gorget
), but the female lacks this, having a plain gray throat. Males sing two types of songs: a simple "peep song," which sounds like a squeaky wheel, and a quiet but complex "whisper song." The female is also reported to sing during the breeding season to attract the attention of males.
The Blue-throated Mountaingem is native to mountain woodlands of Mexico
, although during the summer it is an uncommon to rare resident of moist, wooded canyons in the Madrean sky islands
of southeastern Arizona
, southern New Mexico
, and western Texas
in the United States
and northeastern Sonora
, Mexico. A few individuals traditionally winter at feeding stations in southeastern Arizona.
The male takes no part in nest building or care of the young. The female constructs her nest from soft plant fibers, held together and attached to its support (a tree branch, flowering plant, fern, vine, rock shelf, or manmade object such as a wire or nail) using strands of spider silk
stolen from spider web
s. The exterior is camouflaged with green moss
es where available; in drier habitats, mosslike dendroid lichens may be used, or the exterior may be left bare. Blue-throated Hummingbirds frequently nest over water, especially flowing streams. The two white eggs hatch in 17 to 19 days, and the young leave the nest at 24 to 26 days of age. Up to three broods per year are possible under ideal conditions; the female usually builds each new nest atop the previous nest, leading to nest "towers" at traditional nest sites.
Like other hummingbirds, the Blue-throated Hummingbird feeds on nectar from flowers and catches insect
s in flight
and by gleaning
from vegetation. In winter, sap from wells drilled by sapsucker
s may substitute for nectar.
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...
, a member of the Trochilidae family of 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...
s.
The Blue-throated Mountaingem is a fairly large hummingbird, reaching 11.5 to 12.5 cm (4½ to 5 inches) in length and 6 to 10 grams in weight. The Blue-throated Hummingbird is dull green on the top of its body, fading to medium gray on its belly. It has a conspicuous white stripe behind its eye and a narrower stripe extending backward from the corner of its bill, bordering a blackish cheek patch. Its tail feathers are iridescent blue-black with broad white tips on the outer two to three pairs. The species gets its name from the adult male's iridescent blue throat patch (gorget
Gorget (birds)
A gorget is a patch of colored feathers found on the throat or upper breast of some species of birds. It is a feature found on many male hummingbirds, particularly those found in North America; these gorgets are typically iridescent. Other species, such as the Purple-throated Fruitcrow and Chukar...
), but the female lacks this, having a plain gray throat. Males sing two types of songs: a simple "peep song," which sounds like a squeaky wheel, and a quiet but complex "whisper song." The female is also reported to sing during the breeding season to attract the attention of males.
The Blue-throated Mountaingem is native to mountain woodlands of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, although during the summer it is an uncommon to rare resident of moist, wooded canyons in the Madrean sky islands
Madrean sky islands
The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine-oak woodlands, found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. The sky islands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Sonoran and...
of southeastern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, southern New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, and western Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and northeastern Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
, Mexico. A few individuals traditionally winter at feeding stations in southeastern Arizona.
The male takes no part in nest building or care of the young. The female constructs her nest from soft plant fibers, held together and attached to its support (a tree branch, flowering plant, fern, vine, rock shelf, or manmade object such as a wire or nail) using strands of spider silk
Spider silk
Spider silk is a protein fiber spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons for protection for their offspring...
stolen from spider web
Spider web
A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets....
s. The exterior is camouflaged with green moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
es where available; in drier habitats, mosslike dendroid lichens may be used, or the exterior may be left bare. Blue-throated Hummingbirds frequently nest over water, especially flowing streams. The two white eggs hatch in 17 to 19 days, and the young leave the nest at 24 to 26 days of age. Up to three broods per year are possible under ideal conditions; the female usually builds each new nest atop the previous nest, leading to nest "towers" at traditional nest sites.
Like other hummingbirds, the Blue-throated Hummingbird feeds on nectar from flowers and catches insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s in flight
Hawking (birds)
Hawking is a feeding strategy in birds involving catching flying insects in the air. The term usually refers to a technique of sallying out from a perch to snatch an insect and then returning to the same or a different perch...
and by gleaning
Gleaning (birds)
Gleaning is a term for a feeding strategy by birds in which they catch invertebrate prey, mainly arthropods, by plucking them from foliage or the ground, from crevices such as rock faces and under the eaves of houses, or even, as in the case of ticks and lice, from living animals. This behavior is...
from vegetation. In winter, sap from wells drilled by sapsucker
Sapsucker
The Sapsuckers form the genus Sphyrapicus within the woodpecker family Picidae. All are found in North America.As their name implies, sapsuckers feed primarily on the sap of trees, moving among different tree and shrub species on a seasonal basis...
s may substitute for nectar.
External links
- Blue-throated Hummingbird photo, Article Southeast AZ: Arizona-Sonora Desert MuseumArizona-Sonora Desert MuseumThe Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a museum and zoo founded in 1952 and located in Tucson, Arizona. It contains a museum and two miles of walking paths on of this property, and is one of the most visited attractions in Tucson...
- Blue-throated Hummingbird photo; photo-2 focusonnature.com
- Blue-throated Hummingbird photo gallery with picture of nest, & egg clutchClutch (eggs)A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
- Blue-throated Hummingbird profile and photos SABO
