Blue-chested Hummingbird
Polyerata amabilis
Male has glittering purple-blue throat, green back and crown, paler grayish belly, and dark tail. Female less obvious, with spotted chest; note the pink base to the lower mandible of the bill. She is smaller than most other female hummingbirds that have spotted chests, such as White-necked Jacobin. Usually seen fairly low at forest edge or shrubby second growth. Nearly identical to Charming Hummingbird but no range overlap.
Identification
The blue-chested hummingbird (Polyerata amabilis) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and heavily degraded former forest. The hummingbird feeds by trap-lining and also defends feeding territory (particularly in nectar-poor habitat), taking nectar and also small insects gleaned from foliage. These foraging territories are often on the borders of forests in areas of scattered flowers. The males will form leks to try to gain the attention of females during breeding season. This species was formerly placed in the genus Amazilia. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that Amazilia was polyphyletic. In the revised classification to create monophyletic genera, the blue-chested hummingbird was moved to the resurrected genus Polyerata.
Taxonomy
Genus: Polyerata; Family: Trochilidae; Order: Apodiformes.
- Scientific name
- Polyerata amabilis
- Authority
- (Gould, 1853)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Polyerata
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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