Crimson Topaz
Topaza pella
Large, distinctive hummingbird. Superb male is mostly red and essentially unmistakable; female best told by large size and mostly green plumage with orange outer tail feathers. Found in lowland forest, usually along blackwater creeks in forests with sandy soils. Nests on low vegetation overhanging water. Very noisy and aggressive in territorial defense; loud, smacking calls are often heard before the birds are seen.
Identification
The male crimson topaz is 21 to 23 cm (8.3 to 9.1 in) long including the 5 cm (2.0 in) bill and 8.6 to 12 cm (3.4 to 4.7 in) tail, and weighs 11 to 18 g (0.39 to 0.63 oz). Females are 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in) long and weigh 9 to 12.5 g (0.32 to 0.44 oz). It may be the second largest species of hummingbird after the giant hummingbird, rivaled only by its cousin, the fiery topaz.<p>Male and female crimson topaz have different plumages. Both have a straight to slightly decurved bill. The male's head, face, and the sides of the neck are velvety black. Its back is iridescent crimson to gold on the uppertail coverts. The central tail feathers are bronzy green and the outer ones chestnut; two of the latter are elongated and crossed. The throat is golden green surrounded by a black band and the underparts bright red. The wings are brown. The female's head and back are dark green and its underparts a lighter green with golden green inclusions; the throat is green with crimson inclusions. The central tail feathers are bronzy, the middle pair violet, and the outer pair chestnut, and none are elongated like the male's.
Taxonomy
The crimson topaz was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Trochilus pella. Linnaeus based his description on the "Long-tail'd red huming-bird" that had been described and illustrated by the English naturalist George Edwards in 1743 from a specimen owned by Charles Lennox, the Duke of Richmond. The specimen had been collected in Suriname. The specific epithet is from the Latin pellus meaning "dark-colored". The crimson topaz is now placed in the genus Topaza that was introduced by George Robert Gray in 1840 with the crimson topaz as the type species.<p>Three subspecies are recognised:<p>The crimson topaz has been treated as conspecific with the fiery topaz (T. pyra) but currently (2021) the two are considered to form a superspecies.
- Scientific name
- Topaza pella
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Topaza
Range and habitat
The subspecies of crimson topaz are distributed thus:<p>The species mainly inhabits inland rainforest in lowlands and foothills at elevations up to 500 m (1,600 ft). It frequents granite outcrops and also gallery forest along small waterways.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Souza's Shrike
Lanius souzae
Small, slim shrike with a brown wing and tail. Note the white slash across the shoulders. Males are gray below and females buffy. Found in broadleaf woodland of miombo, mopane, and Zambezi teak. Uncommon and very localized species. Perches high in trees, but rarely on the conspicuous open perches used by most shrikes. Often in pairs. The vocalizations include an annoyed-sounding “sveeat” and low rasps. Most similar to female Red-backed Shrike, but separated by the white mark across the shoulders and lack of barring on the underparts.
Kea
Nestor notabilis
The world's only true alpine parrot, found only on the South Island of New Zealand. Large, with olive-green plumage. Note scarlet underwings visible in flight. Females are smaller than males with shorter bills. Juveniles have a yellow eye-ring and a paler crown. Gives a distinct loud “keee-aaa” call, mostly in flight. Very inquisitive toward people and their cars within the mountain ranges, at ski fields, at huts, and along mountain roads. Distinguished from New Zealand Kaka by blue-green flight feathers, larger size, and alpine habitat.
Nightingale Island Finch
Nesospiza questi
A small lemon-olive finch with a gray patch in front of the eye. Female is smaller, duller, and streakier than the male. Juvenile resembles female but is browner and streakier. An abundant endemic throughout Nightingale Island and small adjacent islands, preferring tussock grass. Male’s song is high-pitched and sharp, an often repeated “wheet-whuu”; female answers with a whistle. The much larger and rarer Wilkins’s Finch has a deep grosbeak-like bill and a slower song, and is more restricted to wooded parts of the island than Nightingale Island Finch.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.