Garnet-throated Hummingbird
Lamprolaima rhami
Large, spectacular, and solidly built hummingbird of humid evergreen and pine-evergreen forest in mountains; uncommon. Feeds at all levels on flowers and sometimes perches on prominent high twigs. Most striking feature is the bright rusty wings, which typically flash brightly as it hovers at flowers; also note the big white spot behind the eye. Male often looks blackish below; the pink throat rarely catches the light. Female is dusky grayish below.
Identification
The garnet-throated hummingbird is 12 to 12.4 cm (4.7 to 4.9 in) long and weighs 5.6 to 7.1 g (0.20 to 0.25 oz). Both sexes have a short, straight, black bill. The adult male's upperparts are iridescent green. Much of the face is black, with a small white spot behind the eye. The gorget is shining rosy pink and the breast iridescent violet-blue. The rest of the underparts are blackish with mottled green flanks. The wings are rufous with dark brown tips to the feathers. The tail is dark purple with gray tips on the outer feathers. The adult female also has iridescent green upperparts. The underparts are dusky gray, usually with small pinkish dots on the throat. The wings and tail are similar to the male's but the outer tail feathers have white tips. Juvenile males are similar to the adult female but with darker underparts and buff fringes on the chest feathers. Juvenile females are similar to the adult but with buff fringes on the head feathers.
Taxonomy
The garnet-throated hummingbird is the only member of genus Lamprolaima, a name which is a combination of two Greek words: lampros, meaning brilliant or radiant and laimos, meaning throat. The specific epithet commemorates Henri-Casimir de Rham, a Swiss diplomat to the United States who was founder of the Swiss Benevolent Society in New York, a businessman, naturalist, and collector.
- Scientific name
- Lamprolaima rhami
- Authority
- (Lesson, RP, 1839)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Lamprolaima
Range and habitat
The garnet-throated hummingbird is found discontinuously from Mexico's Guerrero, Puebla, and Veracruz states south through Guatemala into El Salvador and Honduras. It inhabits the interior and edges of tropical forest, cloudforest, and pine-oak forest and also scrublands. In elevation it ranges between 1,200 and 3,000 m (3,900 and 9,800 ft) but is most numerous between 1,500 and 2,300 m (4,900 and 7,500 ft); in Honduras it occurs only above 1,600 m (5,200 ft).
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
The garnet-throated hummingbird moves between higher elevation during the breeding season to lower elevation outside it.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Waved Albatross
Phoebastria irrorata
Large and gangly seabird that nests only in Galápagos and on Isla de la Plata (a small island near Ecuador’s central coast). When not breeding, it disperses over the eastern Pacific Ocean as far south as Chile. The only albatross likely to be seen in and near Galápagos. Adult is brown with a white head and neck and a large, yellow bill. Head and neck have a slight yellow tinge. Young birds are almost all brown and gradually develop the white head. Can be seen on land only at nesting sites, where pairs engage in elaborate courtship displays. Outside of the breeding season, it is usually only encountered far out to sea.
Blyth's Kingfisher
Alcedo hercules
Medium-sized kingfisher of shaded mountain streams in mature hill forest. Like a larger version of Common Kingfisher, but much darker and with no orange behind the ear. Bill is heavy and all-dark; its length and girth give the bird a heavy-headed appearance. Perches low over the water on boulders and low-hanging branches, from which it gives a hoarse, rasping call.
Red-eared Firetail
Stagonopleura oculata
Plump, tiny, short-tailed bird, olive above, blackish with white-spotted belly below, with a bright red bill. Very dark between eyes and bill (lores), with a pale eyering and a tiny red patch behind the eye. Juvenile plain, similar to Beautiful Firetail of southeastern Australia. Red-browed Firetail (introduced in the Perth Hills) lacks marking below and lacks dark lores. Inhabits dense vegetation beside streams around in southwestern Western Australia.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.