Mosquito colibri
| Mosquito colibri | ||||||||||
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Mosquito colibri |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||
| Chrysolampis | ||||||||||
| Boie , 1831 | ||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||
| Chrysolampis mosquitus | ||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The mosquito hummingbird ( Chrysolampis mosquitus ), also called topaz ruby hummingbird , is an agile hummingbird , which is best known for the figure-eight movement of its wings .
features
With its length of 9 cm and wingspan of 12 cm it is one of the smallest hummingbird species. It weighs about 4 grams. While the plumage of the female is only inconspicuously colored brown-white, the glittering feathers of the male are really eye-catching, especially in sunshine. In bright sunlight, it is often only perceived as a bright, glistening point.
Way of life
Mosquito hummingbirds live very solitary in territories outside of the breeding season . They even defend them against much larger birds. They are said to be able to gouge out the eyes of attacking birds of prey. They are very fast and agile and spend most of their lives in flight.
Reproduction
The mating of mosquito hummingbirds could not be observed for a long time because the birds fly too fast. So far, pictures of the pairing could only be taken with photo cameras, which were triggered by light barriers . The male mates in the air with several females in quick succession, singing at a pitch that is imperceptible to most people.
After mating, the female creates a tiny, bowl-shaped nest out of moss , lichen and sticky cobwebs. It incubates one or two eggs in it until the young hatch after 12 to 21 days. The nestling period is 3 weeks, after which the young birds have fledged and leave the nest.
nutrition
Like most hummingbirds, the mosquito colibri feeds on nectar and insects . To get to the nectar, they do a stationary flight before flowering. The wings move in a figure-of-eight loop, which allows the wing to rotate in the shoulder joint thanks to special wing constructions . The chest and shoulder muscles make up about a third of the total weight. The beak is just the right length to get at the nectar and pollinate the flower.
The mosquito colibri needs to drink a lot of nectar because its energy expenditure is around 25 times higher than that of a pigeon-sized bird. It cannot swallow trapped insects and therefore flies with the prey in its beak so fast that it is pressed into its throat .
distribution
The distribution area of the mosquito colibris extends over Brazil , Colombia , Venezuela , northeast Bolivia , Guiana , Tobago and Trinidad . They live mainly in forests, as well as in the scrub and savannah country. Their species is becoming increasingly rare as they are hunted for their hides and their habitat is being destroyed.
Etymology and history of research
Carl von Linné described the mosquito colibri under the name Trochilus Mosquitus . He named South Carolina as the site . In 1831 the species was assigned to the new genus Chrysolampis by Friedrich Boie, together with Trochilus elatus , T. cyanomelas , T. guianensis and T. carbunculus . This name is of Greek origin and is derived from "khrusolampis χρυσολαμπις " for " shiny gold". The specific epithet »mosquitus« is derived from the Greek »myîa μυῖα « for »fly«.
literature
- James A. Jobling: Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm, London 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4 .
- Carl von Linné: Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, Cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis . 10th edition. tape 1 . Imprensis Direct Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm 1758 ( online [accessed June 15, 2014]).
- Friedrich Boie: Comments on species and some ornithological families and clans . In: Isis von Oken . tape 24 , 1831, pp. 538-548 ( online [accessed June 18, 2014]).
Web links
- Chrysolampis mosquitus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.1. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- BirdLife International: Species Factsheet - Ruby-topaz Hummingbird ( Chrysolampis mosquitus ) . Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Ruby Topaz (Chrysolampis mosquitus) in the Internet Bird Collection
- Mosquito colibri ( Chrysolampis mosquitus ) at Avibase; Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- Chrysolampis mosquitus in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- xeno-canto: Sound recordings - Ruby-topaz Hummingbird ( Chrysolampis mosquitus )
- 3D animation of the flight of a male mosquito colibri (requires DivX )