Gray-tailed mountain-gem facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gray-tailed mountain-gem |
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Lampornis
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Lampornis castaneoventris
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The gray-tailed mountain-gem (Lampornis cinereicauda) is a special kind of hummingbird. These tiny, colorful birds live high up in the mountains of southern Costa Rica. You can find them in the Talamanca mountain range, all the way down to the border with Panama. They are known for their beautiful, shimmering feathers.
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What Does It Look Like?
The gray-tailed mountain-gem is a truly stunning bird, but the males and females look quite different!
Male Gray-tailed Mountain-Gem
Male gray-tailed mountain-gems have feathers that seem to change color in the light. This is called iridescence. Their bodies are mostly a shimmering emerald green with a touch of bronzy brown mixed in. They have a gray tail, which gives them their name. Their forehead and the top of their head are a bright blue-green. Below their beak, they have a bright white throat, next to more shimmering blue-green on their upper belly.
Female Gray-tailed Mountain-Gem
Female gray-tailed mountain-gems have very different colors compared to the males. Their entire back, from their forehead all the way to their tail, is a shimmering bronzy emerald green. Their whole front side, from their chin down to their lower belly, is a soft tan-orange color. To complete their look, they have a green tail with white tips.
Both male and female gray-tailed mountain-gems share some features. They both have a straight, thin, black beak, which is perfect for sipping nectar from flowers. They also have a white stripe right behind their eye and dark, blackish wings.
Where Do They Live?
These hummingbirds make their home in the cool, misty mountains of southern Costa Rica. They prefer the high-altitude forests, especially in the Cordillera de Talamanca. This area is rich in diverse plant life, providing plenty of flowers for them to feed on.
Images for kids
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Female Gray-tailed Mountain-Gem
