Neblina Metaltail - BirdForum Opus

Metallura odomae

Identification

10-11 cm.

• Medium-sized, straight, black bill
• Yellowish olive-green upperparts
• Yellowish olive-green underparts with pale feather fringes
• Coppery reflections on auriculars and lores
• Dark red throat patch
• Sky-blue tinge on tail with green above
• Yellow-green glittering below
• Whitish tips on outer tail feathers

Female similar but with incomplete scarlet throat patch. Juvenile similar to female.

Distribution

Northern Peru (northeast Piura and Cajamarca) and southern Ecuador (southern Loja and Zamora-Chinchipe).
A restricted-range species, locally fairly common but in low densities.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.
Sometimes considered a subspecies of Fire-throated Metaltail.

Habitat

At the tree-line with forested ravines and patches of mossy elfin forest, also above the treeline on paramo.
Occurs from 2600 to 3350 m.

Behaviour

Diet

Feeds on nectar. Takes also insects caught in the air.
Males have a feeding territory.

Breeding

Peak breeding season probably from November to February. One nest was a mossy cup covered with pale lichens. It was placed 2 m above the ground in a small rock-ledge cavity and held 2 eggs.

Movements

A resident species, remaining in its exposed habitat even in very bad weather, sheltering in ravines. Some altitudinal dispersal recorded.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2015. IOC World Bird Names (version 5.2). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2015)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Neblina Metaltail. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 October 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Neblina_Metaltail

External Links

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