Humboldt's sapphire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Humboldt's sapphire |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Genus: | Chrysuronia |
| Species: |
C. humboldtii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Chrysuronia humboldtii (Bourcier & Mulsant, 1852)
|
|
 |
|
| Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
|
Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
The Humboldt's sapphire (also known as the Humboldt's hummingbird) is a tiny, colorful bird. It's a type of hummingbird found in parts of Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama. These amazing birds are known for their bright colors and speedy flight.
Contents
Understanding the Humboldt's Sapphire's Family Tree
Scientists group living things into families. This helps us understand how different species are related.
How Scientists Classify This Hummingbird
The Humboldt's sapphire used to be placed in different groups, called genera. These groups were named Hylocharis and Amazilia. However, new studies in 2014 looked at the birds' DNA. These studies showed that the Humboldt's sapphire actually belongs in the group called Chrysuronia. Most scientists now agree with this change.
Some bird organizations, like BirdLife International, still keep it in the Amazilia group. Also, at one time, this bird was thought to be a subspecies of the blue-headed hummingbird. But now, it is considered its own unique species. This means it is monotypic, having no subspecies.
What Does the Humboldt's Sapphire Look Like?
This hummingbird is quite small. It measures about 9 to 12.5 centimeters (3.5 to 5 inches) long.
Size and Weight of the Humboldt's Sapphire
Male Humboldt's sapphires weigh about 6.3 to 6.6 grams. Females are a little lighter, weighing 5.8 to 6.4 grams. That's about the weight of two pennies!
Colors and Features of Male Birds
Male Humboldt's sapphires have a straight, coral-red beak with a black tip. Their forehead and the center of their throat are a deep blue color. The top of their head is a dull, dark blue-green. The rest of their upper body is a shiny metallic green to bronze-green. Their tail is dark metallic green or blue. The outer tail feathers have dusky gray tips. Their chest, neck sides, and cheeks are blue-green to green. Their sides are green, and the center of their belly and the feathers under their tail are white.
Colors and Features of Female Birds
Female Humboldt's sapphires have a blue crown (top of the head). Their upper body and tail are metallic green to bronze-green. Like the males, their outer tail feathers have dusky gray tips. Their underparts are mostly white. They have bright green flecks on the sides of their throat and chest.
Young Humboldt's Sapphires
Young male birds have a lot of white on their undersides. Their chest has bronze flecks. Their crown and face are a dull, dark bluish-green.
Where Do Humboldt's Sapphires Live?
The Humboldt's sapphire lives in a narrow strip along the Pacific coast. You can find them in the very southeastern part of Panama. They also live through western Colombia and into northwestern Ecuador's Esmeraldas Province.
Preferred Homes for These Hummingbirds
These birds love to live in mangrove forests. They also live in wet secondary forest areas nearby. They usually stay at low elevations, mostly below 50 meters (160 feet). They are most commonly found in areas with Pacific (or tea) mangrove trees.
How Do Humboldt's Sapphires Behave?
Scientists are still learning about many of the Humboldt's sapphire's habits.
Do They Migrate?
It is not known if Humboldt's sapphires move from one place to another. Their movements have not been studied or recorded yet.
What Do They Eat?
The Humboldt's sapphire loves to drink nectar from the flowers of tea mangrove trees. They have also been seen feeding at other flowering trees, shrubs, and herbs near the mangrove areas. Besides nectar, they also eat insects. They catch insects by flying out from a perch (a method called hawking) or by picking them off plants.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Humboldt's sapphires have been observed ready to breed between January and May. Males gather in special areas called leks. Here, they sing to attract females. Not much else is known about how these birds breed. Their nests have not yet been found or described by scientists.
What Sounds Do They Make?
There are only a few recordings of the Humboldt's sapphire's sounds. What is believed to be their song is a repeated, high-pitched sound. It includes hissing notes and trills, like "tee-tsee-see-tsee-see-trtrt-tsee-see-trtrt." They also make a "descending squeaky twittering" call.
Conservation Status of the Humboldt's Sapphire
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has evaluated the Humboldt's sapphire. They have listed it as a species of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently considered to be in danger of extinction.
Population and Threats
The Humboldt's sapphire has a fairly large area where it lives. Scientists estimate there are between 20,000 and 50,000 adult birds. However, this number is thought to be slowly decreasing. Their mangrove habitat is slowly being changed into areas for shrimp farming. But because the birds also use nearby secondary forests, their population is not declining fast enough to be considered "Near Threatened." The bird is uncommon in Panama, found in very specific places in Colombia, and very rare in Ecuador.
 | Janet Taylor Pickett |
 | Synthia Saint James |
 | Howardena Pindell |
 | Faith Ringgold |
