Fire-throated Metaltail
Metallura eupogon
Small hummingbird restricted to high-elevation elfin forest along the east slope of the Andes in central Peru. Male is mostly dark green with a slight golden-bronze tinge to his plumage and a glittering rosy throat patch. Female is duller than male with an indistinct throat patch, sometimes with only a few reddish speckles. Tail is bluish-green above and yellowish-green below, but often looks all dark in the field. Also note the short bill and the white spot behind the eye. No overlap with the similar Neblina Metaltail.
Identification
The fiery-throated metaltail is about 11 cm (4.3 in) long and weighs about 5 g (0.18 oz). It has a medium length, straight, black bill. The adult male is almost entirely yellowish olive-green with bronzy overtones. Its slightly forked tail is iridescent sky blue with a green tinge on its upper side and glittering yellow-green on its underside. Its gorget is orange. The adult female is similar the male but its gorget is smaller. Juveniles are similar to the female.
Taxonomy
The fiery-throated metaltail is monotypic. However, what are now the violet-throated metaltail (M. baroni) and neblina metaltail (M. odomae) were at times treated as subspecies of the fiery-throated.
- Scientific name
- Metallura eupogon
- Authority
- (Cabanis, 1874)
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Metallura
Range and habitat
The fiery-throated metaltail is found on the eastern slope of the central Andes of Peru, from just south of the Huallaga River in the Department of Huánuco south to the Apurímac River in the Department of Cuzco. Like most of the metaltails, the species inhabits the edges of dwarf and elfin forests and páramo, moist landscapes characterized by shrubby growth and small trees. It also occurs in glades within the forest. In elevation it ranges between 2,900 and 4,000 m (9,500 and 13,100 ft) and is most common above 3,500 m (11,500 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The fiery-throated metaltail is believed to be sedentary but some seasonal elevational movement is possible.<p>The fiery-throated metaltail's diet and feeding practices are not known. They are assumed to be similar to those of other metaltails, which feed on nectar from a variety of flowering plants and also catch small arthropods by sallies from a perch; males defend feeding territories.<p>The fiery-throated metaltail's breeding phenology and nest have not been documented. Its breeding season appears to include June and July.<p>The fiery-throated metaltail's chase call is "a descending series of 3–6 squeaky notes, followed by a repeated, buzzy, jumbled phrase, 'trt-tsee-seee-seee-sew..trr-tsee-tsew..trr-tsee-tsew..'."
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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