Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Naturalist Notes: Long-billed Starthroat Hummingbird

I have seen the Long-billed Starthroat hummingbird mostly in forested areas in Trinidad. It is not recorded in Tobago.

This infrequent species is just about 4.5 inches in length. The sexes are generally bronze-green in color on the upperside and grayish on the underside, both have white moustachial streaks. The males have a distinctive turquoise crown with a reddish throat, while the females have a greenish crown with a black throat. When identifying this species I particularly look for a white jagged streak on the back, this is not usually noted in the field guides. 

Their straight bill is reminiscent of a sword because it’s so long!

© Denise Etienne

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