Buffy Hummingbird
Leucippus fallax
Medium-sized brown-and-green hummingbird. Upperparts pale green, underparts warm buff; bill medium-sized; has dull white spot behind eyes and boldly white tipped, rounded tail. Locally fairly common; territorial. Restricted to desert scrub, dry forest edges, and mangroves in northern Venezuela and extreme northeastern Colombia. Ruby Topaz female similar but with rufous tail and shorter bill.
Identification
The male and female buffy hummingbird are similar in appearance but the female tends to be less brightly coloured, and there is considerable variation in shade between individuals. The back and upper parts of the bird are a dull green, the underparts pale cinnamon-buff and the belly and undertail coverts white. The tail is dull green with a transverse grey bar and a rounded end. There is a white spot behind the eye and the beak is slender and straight. The upper mandible is black and the lower one pale with a black tip. The bird ranges from 8.5 to 9 cm (3.3 to 3.5 in) in length.
Taxonomy
The hummingbird is a member of the class Aves, the order Apodiformes, the family Trochilidae and the genus Leucippus.<p>This genus formerly included additional species. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that Leucippus was polyphyletic. To resolve the polyphyly the Tumbes hummingbird and the spot-throated hummingbird were moved to the resurrected genus Thaumasius.
- Scientific name
- Leucippus fallax
- Authority
- (Bourcier, 1843)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Leucippus
Range and habitat
The buffy hummingbird is found in Colombia, French Guiana, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are desert shrubland, thorny shrubs in arid areas and mangrove areas at elevations of up to 500 metres (1,600 ft). It forages at medium heights and near the ground. It tends to feed near the canopy of the forests that it inhabits.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Scarce and local small finch of highlands in Chiapas and Guatemala. Favors pine-oak forests, edges, and adjacent clearings, especially with alders. Usually in small groups, feeding in alders or other fruiting trees; at times low in weedy vegetation. Adult is greenish overall with a black cap and yellow wing edgings. Juvenile is streaky and resembles Pine Siskin, but note the dark cap and pointed pinkish bill.
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