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Violet Sabrewing - BirdForum Opus

(Redirected from Campylopterus hemileucurus)
Male, demonstrating the pattern on the tail
Photo © by Cedrik K
Cielito Sur B&B, Chiriqui, Panama, March 2005
Campylopterus hemileucurus

Identification

Female
Photo © by biswasg
Costa Rica, August 2006

13–15 cm (5-6 in); a large spectacular hummingbird with long, curved black bill and distal half of the tail white.
Body of the male is deep violet with green wing-coverts.
The female has a violet throat and undersides pale speckled green while upperside is green to bluish-green.
Younger bird have uppersides similar to the female, but clues on the underside normally allows sexing.

Distribution

Southern Mexico and Central America to western Panama. [1]

Taxonomy

Two subspecies are recognized[1]:

  • C. h. hemileucurus:
  • C. h. mellitus:

Habitat

Immature
Photo © by scottishdude
Costa Rica, September 2018

Humid forests and edges, in the southern part of the range especially higher elevation. Also second growth forests.

Behaviour

Diet

Their diet consists mostly of nectar. They will visit feeders around houses if provided.

Breeding

The nest is a bulky cup.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Ridgely & Gwynne 1989. Birds of Panama. Princeton Paperbacks. ISBN 0691025126
  3. Howell & Webb, 1995. A guide to the birds of Mexico and northern Central America. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198540124
  4. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Sept 2018)

Recommended Citation

External Links


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