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
Hummingbirds are specialist feeders on nectar and the buffy hummingbird consumes the nectar of such plants as Agave and Hibiscus and various species of cacti. The hummingbird will protect the flower patches that it feeds from. This hummingbird is unusual in that it also consumes the exposed flesh and the juice of the fruits of cacti in the genus Armatocereus. This hummingbird also plays an important role in the pollination of flowers of Melocactus, carrying the pollen on its plumage as it moves from flower to flower sipping nectar. In addition to plant matter, the bird consumes insects, which it catches in flight.<p>The buffy hummingbird migrates over small distances. During December to April, a period marked by minimal rainfall, the bird is generally found in areas with heavy thorn tree populations.<p>Male buffy hummingbirds perform courtship by plummeting from the sky in an arc-like fashion. They also produce mating calls during their fall. Most buffy hummingbird nests are found between the months of May and November, so breeding is believed to occur during this period of time. The nest is cup-shaped and built on top of a low branch or in the fork of a bush. It is composed of the soft fibers of the tree cotton and decorated externally with bits of bark, lichen and leaf. Two eggs are laid.
Conservation
The total population size of the buffy hummingbird is unknown. However, it has a large range and there is no indication that the population of these hummingbirds is decreasing. Due to these factors, the bird is considered by the IUCN to be of "least concern".
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Flores Monarch
Symposiachrus sacerdotum
A small gray-and white songbird with a black mask and chin and a bright white undertail. Upperparts slate-gray and underparts clean white. Very local, restricted to the island of Flores. Found singly or in pairs in the understory of forested hills, where it often joins mixed-species flocks. Lack of peach wash on the breast separates it from Spectacled Monarch. Song is a series of repeated “weee-weee-weee-weee” notes, with a rise in pitch near the end. Also gives scratchy “churr” notes.
Vanikoro Island-Thrush
Turdus vanikorensis
Dark thrush with orange bill, eyering, legs, and feet. Found on various remote islands in the southern Solomons, as well as northern Vanuatu and (formerly) the Maré off New Caledonia. Some variation in plumage between islands, but no similar species present. Forages at all levels of forest, including on the forest floor. Calls include harsh chupping calls, often given in bursts.
Northern Waterthrush
Parkesia noveboracensis
Brown-and-white denizen of dense vegetation near water. Look for off-white underparts with dark streaks (often with a noticeable yellowish wash) and a whitish eyebrow. Stays on or near the ground, constantly bobbing its rear end up and down. During the breeding season, favors thickets, dense bogs, or alder swales around slow-moving water. Winters primarily in Middle America and the Caribbean, extending into northern South America (further south than Louisiana Waterthrush). Very similar to Louisiana Waterthrush, but usually more yellowish base color below, duller legs, and narrower off-white eyebrow. Also look for small streaks on the throat (clean white on Louisiana). Best distinguished by song: a loud, two- or three-parted descending series of chips. Call note very similar to Louisiana: a loud, metallic chip.
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