Blue-star Antilles hummingbird

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Blue-star Antilles hummingbird
Blue-star Antilles hummingbird

Blue-star Antilles hummingbird

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Sailor birds (Apodiformes)
Family : Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Tribe : Polytmini
Genre : Eulampis
Type : Blue-star Antilles hummingbird
Scientific name
Eulampis holosericeus
( Linnaeus , 1758)

The Blue Star Antilles Hummingbird ( Eulampis holosericeus ) occasionally doctors bird is called a species from the family of hummingbirds (Trochilidae) located on Puerto Rico , the Lesser Antilles and Grenada occurs. The IUCN assesses the population as Least Concern .

features

The blue-star Antilles hummingbird reaches a body length of about 11 to 12.5 cm, with a weight of the males from 5.6 to 7.8 g and the females from 5 to 6.1 g. The male's black, slightly recessed beak is of medium length. The top is metallic bronze-green, the upper tail-coverts blue-green. The cheek area, chin and throat are metallic green. The middle of the chest is violet-blue, the under tail-coverts metallic blue. The rounded tail is dark blue in color. Females are similar to males but have a longer and more curved beak. Immature squill-Antilles hummingbirds look similar to the females, but the head feathers have brown fringes.

Behavior and nutrition

The blue-star Antillean hummingbird gets its nectar from flowers and scrub and small trees at heights of one to two meters above the ground. The plants that he flies to include z. B. Leonotis neptifolia from the family of mint . Occasionally it behaves territorially on convertible herb and brood-leaf bushes . This includes insects that it catches in flight for its food or small spiders that it takes out of the cobwebs. A study on Dominica in May and June found that it preyed on arthropods in the air at heights of four to eight meters above the ground. Only occasionally does he collect them from branches.

Reproduction

The breeding season is from February to May. The nest is a compact chalice that is built in trees and bushes at heights between one and four meters. This is built like a saddle on branches and is camouflaged on the outside with bark and lichen. Inside, it is decorated with soft fibers and seeds, cacti and tree ferns. The clutch consists of two white eggs that are approximately 15.1 to 15.3 × 9.1 to 9.3 mm in size. Incubation period is 17 to 19 days, with the young birds after hatch 20 to 22 days Nesthocker are. The eggs are only hatched by the female. The chicks are flesh-colored and have two stripes on the back. The young birds stay with their mother for three to four weeks. Usually there is only one brood per season. The first brood occurs in the second year of life of the birds. There is a report describing how a gray royal tyrant ( Tyrannus dominicensis ( Gmelin, JF , 1788 )) plundered the nest of either a blue- star Antilles hummingbird or a purple- throated hummingbird ( Eulampis jugularis ( Linnaeus , 1766)).

Vocalizations

The singing includes a short tsip and a sharp chup that he utters quickly when he is excited.

distribution and habitat

Distribution area of ​​the bluestar Antillean hummingbird

The blue- star Antilles hummingbird prefers open secondary vegetation , coastal areas with coccoloba , man-made areas, parks, mixed deciduous forests, mangroves and rainforests at all altitudes. It is most often found at altitudes from sea level to 500 meters.

migration

Occasional squill hummingbirds move from June to September to the forest edges at higher altitudes of 800 to 1000 meters.

Subspecies

There are two known subspecies:

  • Eulampis holosericeus holosericeus ( Linnaeus , 1758) occurs in Puerto Rico and most of the islands of the Lesser Antilles.
  • Eulampis holosericeus chlorolaemus Gould , 1857 occurs on Grenada. This subspecies is darker green on the throat than the nominate form . The deep purple-blue spot in the center of the chest is wider.

Etymology and history of research

The first description of the Blue Star Antilles hummingbirds carried out in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus under the scientific name Trochilus holosericeus . As a distribution area he generally indicated America. In 1831 Friedrich Boie introduced the new generic name Eulampis . This name is made up of the Greek words "eu ευ " for "beautiful" and "lampēs λαμπης " for "sun". The species name "holosericeus" is a Greek word formation from "holos ὁλος " for "complete, complete" and "sērikos, sērikon σηρικος, σηρικον " for "silk, silk". "Chlorolaemus" is a Greek word from "chlōros χλωρος " for "green" and "laimos λαιμος " for "throat".

literature

Web links

Commons : Blue- star Antilles Hummingbird ( Eulampis holosericeus )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Karl-Ludwig Schuchmann u. a.
  2. ^ IOC World Bird List Hummingbirds
  3. ↑ a b Carl von Linné, p. 120.
  4. ^ John Gould, plate 84 & text.
  5. ^ Friedrich Boie, p. 547.
  6. ↑ James A. Jobling, p. 152.
  7. ↑ James A. Jobling, p. 194.
  8. ↑ James A. Jobling, p. 1902.

Remarks

  1. ↑ According to Frederick Herschel Waterhouse, p. 49, plate 84 appeared as part of delivery 14 from 1857.
  2. ↑ Boie assigned the purple- throated hummingbird (Syn: Trochilus violaceus Gmelin, JF 1788, Trochilus auratus Gmelin, JF 1788) and the black hummingbirds ( Florisuga fusca ( Vieillot , 1817)) (Syn: Trochilus niger Wied , 1832) to the genus .