HUMMINGBIRD SPECIES

Grey-Tailed Mountain-Gem

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lampornis castaneoventris cinereicauda

Until recently the Grey-Tailed Mountain-Gem or Gray-Tailed Mountain-Gem was believed to be a subspecies of the White-Throated Mountaingem.

It is 4.13 inches long. Males weigh 6.2 grams and females 5 grams.

Bill is short and slightly curved.

Adult males have bronze-green upperparts and underparts except for a brilliant green crown, pure white throat and grey tail.

Females lack the bright crown and throat, and have rich cinnamon underparts.

Young birds resemble the females but have buff fringes to the upperparts plumage.

Call is a sharp "pick" or "zeet".

Males defend flowers and scrubs in their feeding territories, and are dominant except at higher levels where the range overlaps with Fiery-Throated Hummingbird.

Nectar, taken from a variety of small flowers, including epiphytic Ericaceae and bromeliads. It also takes small insects as an essential source of protein.

Forested areas in hilly terrain, and is found at altitudes from 1850 m to the timberline in the Talamanca range.

Southern Costa Rica.

The female is entirely responsible for nest building and incubation.

She lays two white eggs in a deep plant-fiber cup nest 1 – 3 m high in a scrub.

Incubation takes 15 – 19 days, and fledging another 20 – 26 days.

SOURCE:
https://en.wikipedia.org