Purple-throated Carib
Eulampis jugularis
A large hummingbird with a markedly downcurved bill. It appears largely black in most lighting conditions, though its shimmering green wings are usually still visible. Those green wings along with a more strongly curved bill, help separate this species from the Green-throated Carib. Mostly found in forests, occasionally at forest edges, and infrequently elsewhere. Calls include a sharp high tsweet and a variety of twitters.
Identification
The purple-throated carib is 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) long. Males weigh 9 to 12 g (0.32 to 0.42 oz) and females 7 to 10 g (0.25 to 0.35 oz); specimens of unrecorded sex weighed 6.7 to 10.8 g (0.24 to 0.38 oz). The adult male and female have the same plumage. Their crown and back are velvety black, the throat and chest fiery purplish red, the wings bright golden green, and the tail and its upper and lower coverts metallic greenish blue. The male has a medium length slightly decurved bill; the female's is longer and more strongly curved. Immatures have an orange throat and chest with red speckles.
Taxonomy
The purple-throated carib was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Trochilus jugularis. Linnaeus based his short description on the "red breasted humming bird" that had been described and illustrated by the English naturalist George Edwards and the "colibry violet de Cayenne" that had been described and illustrated by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson. Edwards believed his specimen had come from Suriname, Brisson believed his specimen had come from Cayenne, but both authors were mistaken, as the purple-throated carib is only found on the islands of the Lesser Antilles. The specific epithet jugularis is Medieval Latin for "of the throat". The purple-throated carib is the type species of the genus Eulampis that was introduced in 1831 by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie and which it shares with the green-throated carib (E. holosericeus). The species is monotypic: No subspecies are recognized.
- Scientific name
- Eulampis jugularis
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Eulampis
Range and habitat
The purple-throated carib is resident on Antigua, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Saba, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Sint Eustatius. It has occurred as a vagrant in Barbados, Barbuda, Grenada and the Greater Antilles. It inhabits the interior and edges of primary and secondary forest, mostly at elevations between 800 and 1,200 m (2,600 and 3,900 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Spotted Crocias
Laniellus albonotatus
Long-tailed and thick-billed relative of the laughingthrushes, found only in foothill and lower montane forests on Java. Hops about in the upper levels of the forest, often in small single-species groups, as well as mixed flocks. When seen from below, note the bright white throat, black face, pale yellowish belly, and dark undertail with white-tipped feathers. If seen at a level angle, note rust-and-white striped back and sides. Fast, repetitive, up-and-down song is often given by multiple birds at once.
Racket-tipped Thorntail
Discosura longicaudus
Tiny hummingbird. Male mostly green with contrasting white belly; female green above and whitish below, speckled with green on throat and breast. Both sexes show buffy rump band. Males usually appear dark but are easily identified by small size and long, modified outer tail feathers; females told from other coquettes in range by speckled throat without buff tones. Rarely encountered. Found around flowering trees in rainforest and perhaps most readily seen along rivers. Local populations may fluctuate in abundance from one season to another. Like other coquettes, has fast, weaving flight reminiscent of a large insect, which may help it evade detection by larger hummingbirds whose territories it infiltrates to feed on nectar.
Princess Parrot
Polytelis alexandrae
Very long-tailed, pastel-toned parrot of arid inland western deserts of Australia, typically only seen by those deliberately searching for it in the remote Great Sandy Desert, although occasionally found closer to Alice Springs or Uluru. Male has glorious blue and lilac crown, pink throat, baby-blue lower belly, lime-green wing coverts, and bright red bill; female similar but colors less intense and extensive. In flight, long tail is obvious, as is the bright violet-blue rump. Calls include a sharp, ringing squeak.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.