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Lamprolaima rhami

Photo by Tom Jenner. Male, Guisayote, Honduras

[edit] Identification

This is one of the easier hummingbirds to identify within its range. It is large, with a relatively short, straight bill and a white post-occular spot. The most distinctive feature of both sexes is the brick-red coloured wings that are clearly visible even when the bird is not in direct sunlight and when the bird is in flight. When seen in direct sunlight, the male is green above and on the flanks, with a black face mask, pink gorget and blue chest. The female has similar upperparts to the male, but has mostly grey underparts, though may show a hint of pink on the gorget. A pale line extends down from the post-occular spot and it has pale tips to the tail. Some lower elevation hummingbirds have a brick-red patch in the wing (e.g. Berylline Hummingbird and Stripe-tailed Hummingbird), but no other species in the range has most of the wing this colour.

[edit] Distribution

This species is found in the highlands of the southern states of Mexico, in Guatemala, western Honduras and northern El Salvador. Howell and Webb (1995) give an altidudinal range of 1200 to 3000m.

[edit] Taxonomy

Either this is a monotypic species or it has subspecies rhami, saturatior, and occidentalis. This is the only species within the genus Lamprolaima.

[edit] Habitat

This is primarily a species of cloud forest, but is also found in pine evergreen forest and edge habitats. It is very locally distributed within its range, but can be common at some localities.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] External Links

A page on this species can be found in the bird database of http://tomjenner.com/mayanbirding/thebirds_garnet_thr_humm.html