HUMMINGBIRD SPECIES

Purple-throated Woodstar

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Calliphlox mitchellii

The Purple-throated Woodstar is a species of hummingbird, and it is one of the four Calliphlox species, the woodstars.

It is a tiny hummingbird measuring 2.67 - 2.95 inches long.

Males have a glittering purple throat, white chest band, fairly long forked tail, and white patches on the sides of the rump.

Females have an orange belly with a variable amount of smudgy white in the center. They have thin whitish line that extends behind the eye and wraps around the neck.

Both sexes are similar to the White-bellied Woodstar.

Main diet consists of nectar from flowering trees. They also hawk for flying insects.

Inhabits cloud forest, edges, and second growth from 800 – 2,000 meters.

Found in Colombia and Ecuador, and a minor localized population in Panama, 600 km from its main species distribution.

Nest is a cup-shaped structure made from fine fibers and spiders' web. It is placed about 8 - 12 meters from the ground on thick branches in tall trees.

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