Green brilliant hummingbird

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Green brilliant hummingbird
Brilliant green hummingbird illustrated by John Gould and William Matthew Hart

Brilliant green hummingbird illustrated by John Gould and William Matthew Hart

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Sailor birds (Apodiformes)
Family : Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Tribe : Coeligini
Genre : Heliodoxa
Type : Green brilliant hummingbird
Scientific name
Heliodoxa xanthogonys
Salvin & Godman , 1882

The brilliant green hummingbird ( Heliodoxa xanthogonys ) or brow brilliants is a species of bird from the hummingbird family (Trochilidae) that is found in Venezuela , Guyana and Brazil . The IUCN assesses the population as Least Concern .

features

The green brilliant hummingbird reaches a body length of about 10 to 11 cm, with a weight of 5.5 to 7.5 g. When the beak is straight, about 2 cm long, the upper beak is black, the lower beak orange with a black tip. The male glistens golden-green to emerald-green on the front skull and the middle of the skull. It is blackish over the reins. The rest of the skull, the ear covers, the nape and the top to the rump are dark golden green. The throat glitters from turquoise to golden green, with a purple-blue spot in the upper part of the throat. The belly is dark golden green. The upper tail-coverts and middle tail- feathers are bronze-green to emerald-green, the outer tail- feathers are blackish green, the under- tail- coverts greenish with grayish and red-brown edges. The female looks a little paler in color. The front skull and the top of the head hardly glitter and the black rein line is missing. But it has a white line of beard. The underside is whitish with green spots. The purple throat spot is missing. There is a white spot on the chest, the lower part of the abdomen is whitish. The tail feathers have white tips, the under tail-coverts are grayish brown. Male young animals have a dark green skull with red-brown edges, so that they also have no glitter here. The throat spot is reduced or completely absent. The underside and especially the middle of the throat and the belly are rather grayish brown.

Behavior and nutrition

The brilliant green hummingbird gets its nectar from various plants such as the genus Tyleria or tendrils especially from the heather family , as well as from epiphytes . As a trapliner, it regularly flies to specific, scattered flowers in quick succession, but also defends its feeding territory . It also feeds on insects such as flies. Males and females fly to different food sources depending on the seasonal availability. The foraging takes place in the strata from the treetops to the very bottom. In the forest they are more likely to be found on the lower tendrils.

Vocalizations

The song of the brilliant green hummingbird consists of a repeated nasal squank tone, which it also emits in flight. In addition, his vocal repertoire includes bright, drawn-out, reeling trolls, which are typically delivered in the up and down pitches.

Reproduction

The breeding season of the brilliant green hummingbird is from January to March. The nest is saddle-like. A clutch consists of two white eggs.

distribution and habitat

Distribution area of ​​the green brilliant hummingbird

The brilliant green hummingbird prefers forests, forest edges and clearings with scrub in the sub-montane zones of mountains and tepuis of the Pantepui region. Here he is mostly on the move at altitudes of 700 to 2000 meters, but there are reports in which he was spotted at an altitude of 500 meters.

migration

The brilliant green hummingbird is generally regarded as a resident bird . Since there are no reports from the lowlands of Venezuela so far, at most a hike at high altitudes is likely, depending on the availability of nectar sources.

Subspecies

There are two known subspecies:

  • Heliodoxa xanthogonys willardi Weller & Renner , 2001 occurs in southern Venezuela. The male differs from the nominate form by having longer wings and a longer tail. The female looks less green overall and is whiter on the underside. This is especially true of the throat and chest. The green spots are missing in the middle of the abdomen. Flanks, tail feathers, and central under tail coverts are emerald green. The tips of the outermost tail feathers have wider hems.
  • Heliodoxa xanthogonys xanthogonys Salvin & Godman , 1882 occurs in eastern Venezuela, Guyana and north-central Brazil.

Xanthogenyx salvini d'Hamonville , 1883 and Aphantochroa alexandri Boucard , 1891 are synonyms for the nominate form.

Etymology and history of research

The first description of the Green brilliant hummingbird in 1882 by Osbert Salvin and Godman Frederick DuCane under the scientific name Heliodoxa xanthogonys . The type specimen was collected by Henry Whitely in British Guiana . In 1850 John Gould introduced the genus Heliodoxa u. a. for the violet-forehead brilliant hummingbird . This name is derived from the Greek words "hēlios, ἡλιος " for "sun" and "doxa, dekhomai δοξα, δεχομαι " for "splendor, glory, approve". The species name "xanthogonys" is a word from the Greek "xanthos ξανθος " for "yellow" and the Latin "gonys" for "dill edge, beak edge ", which can also be derived from "gōnia γωνια " for "edge, angle". "Willardi" honors David Ela Willard , who collected the type specimen on February 6, 1985. "Salvini" is a tribute to Osbert Salvin, "alexandri" to the New York taxidermist and natural produce dealer Alfred Henry Alexander (1834–1916).

literature

  • André-Alexander Weller , Peter Boesman, Guy Maxwell Kirwan in: Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal , David Andrew Christie , Eduardo de Juana: Velvet-browed Brilliant (Heliodoxa xanthogonys) in Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive . Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
  • André-Alexander Weller, Swen Christoph Renner: A new subspecies of Heliodoxa xanthogonys (Aves, Trochilidae) from the southern Pantepui highlands, with biogeographical and taxonomic notes . In: Ararajubo . tape 9 , no. 1 , 2001, p. 1–5 ( museu-goeldi.br [PDF; 510 kB ]).
  • James A. Jobling: Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm, London 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4 .
  • Osbert Salvin, Frederick DuCane Godman: Notes on Birds from British Guiana . In: The Ibis (=  4 ). tape 6 , no. 46 , 1882, pp. 76-84 ( biodiversity library ).
  • John Gould: Description of two new species with the characters of a new Genus of Trochilidae . In: Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London . tape 17 , no. 195 , July 10, 1849, p. 95-96 ( biodiversitylibrary.org - 1850).
  • Jean Charles Louis Tardif d'Hamonville: Nouveautés ornithologique . In: Bulletin de la Société zoologique de France . tape 8 , 1883, p. 76-80 ( biodiversity library ).
  • Adolphe Boucard: Notes on rare species of Humming Birds and description of Several Supposed New Species in Boucard's Museum . In: The Humming Bird. A Monthly Scientific, Artistic and Industrial Review . tape 1 , no. 3 , 1891, p. 17-18 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).

Web links

Commons : Brilliant green hummingbird ( Heliodoxa xanthogonys )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g André-Alexander Weller u. a.
  2. ^ IOC World Bird List Hummingbirds
  3. ↑ a b André-Alexander Weller u. a. (2001), p. 2
  4. ↑ a b Osbert Salvin u. a., pp. 80-81
  5. ↑ a b Jean Charles Louis Tardif d'Hamonville, pp. 78-79
  6. ↑ a b Adolphe Boucard, p. 18
  7. ↑ John Gould, pp. 95 f.
  8. ↑ James A. Jobling, p. 188.
  9. ↑ James A. Jobling p. 409.

Remarks

  1. ↑ In addition to the violet- browed brilliant hummingbird, he also classified the green- browed brilliant hummingbird ( Heliodoxa jacula Gould , 1850), the brown-bellied brilliant hummingbird ( Heliodoxa rubinoides ( Bourcier & Mulsant , 1846)) and the ruby hummingbird ( Clytolaema rubricauda ) (Syn. 1783) ( Boddaert , 17 : Heliodoxa rubinia Gould , 1850) to the new genus. With the subspecies Heliodoxa leadbeateri otero , Gould did not seem entirely sure.