- Calliphlox mitchellii
Philodice mitchellii
Identification
6·8–7·5 cm (2¾-3 in)
White or pale orange spot on flanks
Male
- Dusky bronze-green upperparts
- White patch either side of rump
- Purple gorget
- White half collar
- Dark flanks
- Llong tail
Female
- White or orange speckled throat
- Orange belly
Similar Species
Both sexes are similar to the White-bellied Woodstar.
Distribution
Central and South America: found in Panama, Colombia and Ecuador.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Humid forest and forest borders. Found from the coast to 2400 m.
Behaviour
Action
With a very insect-like flight, they hold themselves horizontally, fly much more deliberately and less jerkily, and do not often perch on the feeders.
Diet
Their main diet consists of nectar from flowering trees. They also hawk for flying insects.
Breeding
They construct a cup-shaped nest from fine fibres and spiders web. It is placed about 8-12 m from the ground on thick branches in tall trees.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Feb 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Purple-throated Woodstar. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Purple-throated_Woodstar
