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Plain-capped Starthroat - BirdForum Opus

Heliomaster constantii
Photo by jmorlan
Vagrant photographed in Arizona

Identification

11-12 cm long, and weighs approximately 7-8 g.

The upper-parts, back, crown and tail are bronze in adults. The bird has a dark eye-stripe with a white stripe above and below, and a white patch on the rump. The throat patch is violet-red. The breast and underparts are a grey-white. Its bill is straight, long and dark coloured. The female is less colourful than the male.

Distribution

Mexico, (the Sierra Madre Occidentals), to southern Costa Rica.

Taxonomy

Habitat

Tropical deciduous forests, cottonwood-willow streamside forests, and oak woodlands.

Behaviour

These birds feed on nectar from flowers and flowering trees using a long tongue. They also catch insects on the wing.


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