Buff-breasted Sabrewing
Campylopterus duidae
Large green and buff-colored hummingbird of the remote tepui highlands of southern Venezuela and extreme northern Brazil. Note the green upperparts, whitish spot behind the eye, and buff tail and underparts. Sexes similar. Common in tepui highlands, in bushes, forest edges, and open areas with small trees. Territorial, often alone or in pairs close to flowers. Voice is a nasal “dui” note repeated many times.
Identification
The buff-breasted sabrewing is about 10 to 13 cm (3.9 to 5.1 in) long and weighs 5 to 7 g (0.18 to 0.25 oz). Males and females have essentially the same plumage. Both have a straight black bill. Their upperparts are shining bronze-green that is somewhat greener on the head. Their underparts are drab grayish with a tawny tint on the sides. Their central tail feathers are bronze and the outer ones have dull bronze bases and orangy red ends. Subspecies C. d. guaiquinimae has a slightly different green to the upperparts compared to the nominate, and a darker tail.
Taxonomy
Some authors have placed the buff-breasted sabrewing by itself in genus Loxopterus. It has also been treated as conspecific with the rufous-breasted sabrewing (C. hyperythrus), as forming a superspecies with it, or as the two being sister species. Of the major worldwide taxonomic systems, none have adopted the first three treatments and only the Clements taxonomy has adopted the last.<p>The buff-breasted sabrewing has two subspecies, the nominate C. d. duidae and C. d. guaiquinimae.
- Scientific name
- Campylopterus duidae
- Authority
- Chapman, 1929
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Campylopterus
Range and habitat
The nominate subspecies of buff-breasted sabrewing is found on the tepuis (isolated table mountains) of southern Venezuela and adjacent northern Brazil. Subspecies C. d. guaiquinimae is found only on Cerro Guaiquinima in southern Venezuela. The species inhabits the foothills and lower elevation evergreen montane forest and the higher elevation scrublands on the tepuis. In elevation it ranges between 1,200 and 1,700 m (3,900 and 5,600 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The buff-breasted sabrewing is a year-round resident in its habitat.<p>The buff-breasted sabrewing forages from the understory to the mid-strata for nectar and small arthropods.<p>Nests of buff-breasted sabrewings have been noted between about 2 and 3 m (7 and 10 ft) of the ground but no other information is known about its breeding phenology.<p>The buff-breasted sabrewing's song has not been described in words. Its calls include "somewhat buzzy chipping notes 'chzzi' [and] a longer chattering series 'chi-zizi' or 'chizizizizizizi'."
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Black Currawong
Strepera fuliginosa
Large, black, crow-sized bird with large black bill and yellow eyes. In flight, white tail tip and primary tips sometimes difficult to see. Gray Currawong can be similar but has white undertail. Inhabits many wooded and open habitats in Tasmania, sometimes foraging in large flocks. Song a distinctive throaty, fluting “kar-week, week-kar,” or similar.
Eurasian Jackdaw
Coloeus monedula
Distinctive, small social crow with contrasting, silvery-gray neck shawl and staring whitish eyes; juvenile has duller shawl and eyes. Walks confidently, and can be easy to see where not persecuted; associates readily with crows and Rooks. Flocks can number in the hundreds or thousands in the nonbreeding season. Inhabits open and semiopen habitats, from towns and wooded parkland to farmland and sea cliffs; often around stone buildings and chimneys. Nests in cavities. Listen for its distinctive high-pitched “tchaw, tchaw” calls.
Wayanad Laughingthrush
Pterorhinus delesserti
A shy, medium-large laughingthrush with a black face mask and whitish underparts. It has a dark slaty-gray crown and mantle and chestnut-brown upperparts. White chin and throat shade to gray on the breast, orange-rufous on the mid-belly, and a rich rufous on the lower flanks. Juvenile is duller on crown than adult, more chestnut above, and warmer on the breast. Occurs in flocks in wet, mid-altitude forests. Sometimes as many as forty birds can be seen rummaging in the undergrowth, bursting into a loud ruckus when disturbed, giving insistent sharp screeches: “tree” or “jhree.” It also has a more musical song which is heard less often.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.