Tag Archives: Birder

It inhabits the humid and very humid tropical and subtropical forests. Moderately common in the passage between the basins of Cauca and Nechí- near Ventanas (above Valdivia). In cloud forest with dense understory. The region where he lives is currently deforested to a large extent.

In the females, the upper and middle rectrices are bronze-green. The dull black lateral rectrices are bronze iridescent. The throat center and chest are greyish with small green speckles, turning to bronze green on the sides and golden green on the abdomen.

The food of this species is nectar, taken from a wide variety of flowers, and some small insects. Ruby-topaz hummingbird males perch conspicuously and defend their territories aggressively. The call of this species is a high-pitched tsip.

It feeds in couples or in families especially on the ground although it can rise up to the canopy. It is a big seed scattered. Forage rummaging between leaf litter or in low vegetation to catch insects and spiders. It also consumes earthworms, snails, snakes, frogs, lizards and mice. There are records of predation of smaller bird nests.

The long-tailed sylph feeds on nectar (as of many other hummingbirds), insects, and, at times, small spiders. Flowers with higher sugar content are often preferred. They can be seen at hummingbird feeders, as well. A long-tailed sylph can lick nectar up to 13 times per second!