Black-backed Thornbill
Ramphomicron dorsale
Extremely short-billed hummingbird found at high elevations in Colombia’s Santa Marta Mountains. It mainly occurs in remote areas with little access, and is rare and perhaps seasonal in the areas most visited by birders, such as El Dorado Nature Reserve. Male has a black back and green throat; the throat patch is reduced on young birds. Female has spotted underparts and white tail tips. Inhabits humid forest and often clings to flowers while feeding. Visits feeders on rare occasions.
Identification
The black-backed thornbill is 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long and weighs about 3.5 g (0.12 oz). Both sexes have a very short black bill; the male's is slightly decurved. The male's upperparts are velvety black with purplish uppertail coverts and a white spot behind the eye. Their gorget is olive green and the rest of the underparts are a mix of dark gray and rufous with green dots. The tail is moderately long, deeply forked, and purplish black. Females have shining grass green upperparts, and like the male, purplish uppertail coverts and a white spot behind the eye. Their underparts are buffy white with green dots. The tail is shorter than the male's and the outer pair of feathers have white tips.
Taxonomy
The black-backed thornbill is monotypic. It shares its genus with the purple-backed thornbill (R. microrhynchum).
- Scientific name
- Ramphomicron dorsale
- Authority
- Salvin & Godman, 1880
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Ramphomicron
Range and habitat
The black-backed thornbill is restricted to the isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in far northern Colombia, where it inhabits the edges of humid and elfin forest and also páramo. In elevation it ranges from 2,000 m (6,600 ft) as high as the snowline at about 4,600 m (15,100 ft).
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
The black-backed thornbill moves to lower elevations in May and Jun.<p>The black-backed thornbill forages for nectar at any height from the ground to the canopy. It has been recorded taking nectar from the flowers of Ericaceae, Lobeliaceae, Melastomataceae, and Rubiaceae, and more specifically flowers of genera Erythrina, Puya, and Salvia. It collects nectar while hovering and also by clinging to the flower. In addition it feeds on insects caught on the wing and gleaned from flowers.<p>Nothing is known about the black-backed thornbill's breeding phenology.<p>The black-backed thornbill's calls include "a short dry rattle 'trrr'...a long descending rattle...'tsee-tttrrrrrrrr-tsee', [and] single 'tsee' notes."
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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