Gray-tailed Mountain-gem
Encyclopedia
The Grey-tailed Mountaingem or Gray-tailed Mountaingem (Lampornis castaneoventris cinereicauda) is a hummingbird
which breeds only in the mountains of southern Costa Rica
. According to recent studies (García-Moreno et al., 2006) it is a subspecies
of the White-throated Mountaingem, but potentially about to become a distinct species, a process already completed by its relative, the Purple-throated Mountaingem L. calolaema.
This bird
inhabits forested areas in hilly terrain, and is found at altitudes from 1850 m to the timberline in the Talamanca range. It is 10.5 cm long. The male weighs 6.2 g and the female 5 g. The shortish black bill is slightly curved.
The adult male Grey-tailed Mountaingem has bronze-green upperparts and underparts except for a brilliant green crown, pure white throat and grey 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 Grey-tailed Mountaingem is entirely responsible for nest building and incubation. She lays two white eggs in a deep plant-fibre cup nest 1-3 m high in a scrub. 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
and bromeliads. Like other hummingbirds it also takes small insects as an essential source of protein.
Male Gray-tailed Mountaingems defend flowers and scrubs in their feeding territories, and are dominant except at higher levels where the range overlaps with Fiery-throated Hummingbird
. The call of this species is a sharp pick or zeet.
The species in its entirety is rated as Least Concern by the IUCN.
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 only in the mountains of 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....
. According to recent studies (García-Moreno et al., 2006) it is a 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...
of the White-throated Mountaingem, but potentially about to become a distinct species, a process already completed by its relative, the Purple-throated Mountaingem L. calolaema.
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...
inhabits forested areas in hilly terrain, and is found at altitudes from 1850 m to the timberline in the Talamanca range. It is 10.5 cm long. The male weighs 6.2 g and the female 5 g. The shortish black bill is slightly curved.
The adult male Grey-tailed Mountaingem has bronze-green upperparts and underparts except for a brilliant green crown, pure white throat and grey 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...
and bromeliads. Like other hummingbirds it also takes small insects as an essential source of protein.
Male Gray-tailed Mountaingems defend flowers and scrubs in their feeding territories, and are dominant except at higher levels where the range overlaps with Fiery-throated Hummingbird
Fiery-throated Hummingbird
The Fiery-throated Hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird which breeds only in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama...
. The call of this species is a sharp pick or zeet.
The species in its entirety is rated as Least Concern by the IUCN.
External links
- Variable Mountain-gem videos on the Internet Bird Collection