Violet-throated nymph

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Violet-throated nymph
Violet-throated nymph

Violet-throated nymph

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Sailor birds (Apodiformes)
Family : Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Tribe : Mountain gems (Lampornithini)
Genre : Mountain Jewels ( Lampornis )
Type : Violet-throated nymph
Scientific name
Lampornis hemileucus
( Salvin , 1865)

The violet- throated nymph ( Lampornis hemileucus ) is a species of bird in the hummingbird family (Trochilidae). The distribution area includes the countries Costa Rica and Panama . The IUCN assesses the population as Least Concern .

features

Violet-throated nymph, ♂

The violet-throated nymph reaches a body length of about 10 to 11 cm with a weight of the male of about 6.2 g and the female of about 5.1 g. The beak is black, the legs dark flesh-colored. Adult males glisten green on the top of the head and on the face, which is streaked with white behind the eyes. The rest of the top is bronze-green, the upper tail-coverts and the tail bronze-colored. At the end of the control springs it has a dark gray subterminal ribbon. The center of the throat is blue-violet, the rest of the underside is white with green spots at the back. The females are similar to the males, but the top of the head is less glittering. In addition, the purple-blue throat coloration is missing. The end of the control springs is mottled gray. In young males the glitter on the head may be absent and the purple of the throat is replaced by a dull bronze color. Young animals of both sexes have rust-colored fringes on the head, back, rump and sides.

Behavior and nutrition

The violet- throated nymph gets its nectar from flowering trees of the genus Inga , Calliandra , the genus Clusia , which belongs to the Clusiaceae, as well as from bushes of the acanthus family , the genus Besleria , which belongs to the Gesneria family, and the genus Carapichea, which belongs to the red family . It is mostly epiphytes of the heather family and Gesneria family of the genus Columnea that it flies to. When it comes to feeding, their behavior is considerably aggressive. It dominates the other species on the flowering trees. The male defends large nectar-rich bushes with epiphytes of the genus Cavendishia and Thibaudia . She regularly hunts mosquitoes by starting sitting on tree tops along the edges of the forest. Females in particular are less often seen collecting insects directly on the leaves.

Vocalizations

Their singing consists of a medley of squeaky, dry or liquid drips and crackling tones. The sounds include a repetitive, somewhat nasal sounding dip , the occasional rattling series of de-de-drrrrr tones. While she is shooing others away, she lets out a rattling rumble.

Brood

Their breeding season in Costa Rica is from August or September through March. Brooding males often warn intruders in the center of their flowered territory with a complex trilling chant. Their nest has not yet been described.

Subspecies

The species is considered to be monotypical .

distribution and habitat

Distribution area of ​​the violet-throated nymph

The violet-throated nymph prefers treetops and shady, cool forest edges, as well as very wet subtropical forests. At the edges of the forest, in gaps and clearings, she likes to move in the somewhat deeper strata in the scrub. They are only occasionally seen in adjacent secondary and semi-open vegetation. In Costa Rica it breeds at altitudes between 700 and 1400 meters.

migration

At least after breeding, parts of the violet-throated nymph population move to lower altitudes and can be found at altitudes of 400 to 600 meters.

Etymology and history of research

The violet- throated nymph was first described in 1865 by Osbert Salvin under the scientific name of Oreopyra hemileuca . The type specimen was collected by Enrique Arcé in the canton of Turrialba in Costa Rica. Only later was it assigned to the genus Lampornis , newly introduced in 1827 by William Swainson for the red-throated nymph ( Lampornis amethystinus ) . This name is derived from the Greek words »lampás, λαμπάς « for »torch, lamp« and »ornis, όρνις « for »bird«. The species name »hemileucus« derives from a Greek word structure »hēmi-, hēmisus ἡμι- , ἡμισυς « for »half« and »leukos λευκος « for »white«. A more recent phylogenetic study shows that the species may not be assigned to the genus Lampornis .

literature

  • Frank Garfield Stiles Jr., Peter Boesman in: Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal, David Andrew Christie, Eduardo de Juana: White-bellied Mountain-gem (Lampornis hemileucus) in Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive . Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
  • James A. Jobling: Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm, London 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4 .
  • Osbert Salvin: Descriptions of seventeen new species of birds from Costa Rica . In: Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for the year 1864 . No. 14 , 1864, p. 579-586 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
  • William Swainson: A Synopsis of the Birds discovered in Mexico by W. Bullock, FLS and HS, and Mr. William Bullock, jun. In: The Philosophical magazine: or Annals of chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, natural history and general science . tape 1 , no. 85 , 1827, pp. 433-442 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
  • Jaime García-Moreno, María Nandadevi Cortés Rodríguez Gabriela Margarita García Deras, Blanca Estela Hernández-Baños: Local origin and diversification among Lampornis hummingbirds: a Mesoamerican taxon. In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . tape 38 , no. 2 , 2006, p. 488-498 , doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2005.08.015 .

Web links

Commons : Violet- throated Nymph ( Lampornis hemileucus )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Frank Garfield Stiles Jr., u. a.
  2. ^ IOC World Bird List Hummingbirds
  3. ^ Osbert Salvin, p. 584.
  4. ^ William Swainson, p. 442.
  5. ↑ James A. Jobling, p. 218.
  6. ↑ James A. Jobling, p. 189.
  7. ↑ Jaime García-Moreno, u. a., pp. 488-498.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Even if the volume is from 1864, the article did not appear until 1865.