HUMMINGBIRD SPECIES

Amethyst Woodstar

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Calliphlox amethystine

The Amethyst Woodstar is a tiny, short-billed hummingbird of forests, f orest edges, and savanna woodlands. It is one of the smallest birds in existence.

It measures about 3 inches and weighs under 3 grams.

Both sexes are green on the back with a white band across the rump, but males have glossy pink throat and a deeply forked tail.

Females have a white throat, a short tail, and cinnamon flanks and undertail.

It has a generalist diet of nearby flower nectar and insects in flight.

Natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

Widespread throughout tropical South America to north-east Argentina and southern Brazil.

The cup-shaped nest is built with plant fiber and moss. It is lined with soft plant matter, feather down and animal hair. It is usually placed in shrubs, bushes or trees.

The males take no part in the care of the young or nest-building and leave after mating.

The females lay a clutch with about 1-3 white eggs and incubate them for about 2 weeks.

The chicks are brooded for as long as 2 weeks, then left alone for about 12 days. At about 20-22 days old the chicks are ready to leave the nest.

SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org
https://ebird.org
https://www.birdforum.net
https://www.thingsguyana.com