Tumbes Hummingbird
Thaumasius baeri
A plain hummingbird found in dry forest and scrub in southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru. It is dull green with light gray underparts, a white spot behind the eye, and a thick, slightly curved bill. Some birds show very faint spots on the throat. Similar to Spot-throated Hummingbird, but throat markings are much less conspicuous or entirely absent. Ranges are also different; Tumbes Hummingbird is found only on the Pacific side of the Andes and does not reach the Marañon drainage.
Identification
The Tumbes hummingbird is 8 to 11 cm (3.1 to 4.3 in) long and weighs about 4.5 g (0.16 oz). The sexes are essentially alike. They have a nearly straight black bill. Their upperparts are pale golden green and their underparts pale grayish that becomes white on the belly. The tail feathers are pale green; the inner ones have bronzy tips and the outer ones a dusky gray band near the end and tips that are whitish in the male and grayish in the female.
Taxonomy
This species was formerly placed in the genus Leucippus. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that Leucippus was polyphyletic. To resolve the polyphyly the Tumbes hummingbird and the spot-throated hummingbird (Taphrospilus hypostictus) were moved by most taxonomic systems to the resurrected genus Thaumasius. However, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World retains it in Leucippus.<p>The Tumbes hummingbird is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Thaumasius baeri
- Authority
- (Simon, 1901)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Unknown (not recognized as a bird species)
- Genus
- Thaumasius
Range and habitat
The Tumbes hummingbird is found in southwestern Ecuador's El Oro and Loja provinces and into northwestern Peru as far south as Lambayeque Department. It inhabits arid scrublands and the edges of deciduous forest in the Tumbes ecoregion. In elevation it ranges from sea level to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in Ecuador and 1,275 m (4,200 ft) in Peru.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Tumbes hummingbird is mostly sedentary though it may make some seasonal movements.<p>The Tumbes hummingbird forages for nectar from the understory to the mid-strata, though details of the flowering plants it favors are lacking. In addition to nectar, it feeds on small arthropods.<p>The Tumbes hummingbird's breeding phenology and nest have not been described.<p>The Tumbes hummingbird's song is "a complex series of chips and wheezing electric warbles." Its calls have been described as "a gruff dzee and chips."
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Fish Crow
Corvus ossifragus
A relatively small, glossy crow. Very difficult to separate from American Crow by appearance; look for Fish Crow’s slightly more tapered wings, quicker wingbeats, and shorter legs. Most easily identified by voice, a nasal “eh-uh” or single nasal caws. Mostly restricted to the southeastern U.S., especially along the coast, but range expanding slightly northward and inland in recent years. Often near water, but also seems especially fond of fast-food parking lots and dumpsters.
Rusty Blackbird
Euphagus carolinus
Rusty edges to feathers and pale eyebrow in winter contrast with blackish feather bases. Breeding males are glossy black. Shorter tail than Common Grackle. Thinner bill than Red-winged Blackbird. Found in wooded swamps. Often in flocks; frequently mixes with Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackle in winter. Look for flocks perched at tops of trees bordering marshes and listen for their calls to help pick them out from large flocks of blackbirds.
Red-eyed Puffback
Dryoscopus senegalensis
A shrike-like bird of thickets in secondary forest and forest edge, often seen high above the ground. Has a bicolored appearance, being wholly white below and almost entirely iridescent black above except for a white rump, a red eye, and the female’s white lores. Similar to several bicolored shrikelike birds in the region, but note Red-eyed Puffback’s behavior as it perches laterally like a bushshrike, as well as its red eye, hoarse voice, and relatively small bill. Shy but vocal, giving sharp, well spaced “kyew! kyew! kyew!” calls, repeated “reuw, reuw, reuw” calls, and rising trilled calls preceded by quick chatters.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.