Sparkling-tailed woodstar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sparkling-tailed woodstar |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Tilmatura
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| Species: |
dupontii
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| Synonyms | |
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Ornismya dupontii |
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The sparkling-tailed woodstar is a tiny and beautiful hummingbird. It's also called the sparkling-tailed hummingbird. This special bird is the only one in its group, known as Tilmatura. You can find it in countries like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
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About This Bird
This hummingbird is quite unique! It's the only type of bird in its group, known as Tilmatura. This means it doesn't have any smaller groups or 'subspecies' within its kind.
What It Looks Like
Male sparkling-tailed woodstars are about 8.2 to 10.1 cm (3.2 to 4.0 in) long. Females are smaller, around 5.8 to 7.5 cm (2.3 to 3.0 in) long. These birds are very light, weighing about 2.23 g (0.079 oz).
Both male and female birds have a long, straight, black beak. They also have a clear white patch on each side of their back, near their tail.
- Males: Their upper body is a shiny metallic green. Their chest is grayish-white, and their belly and sides are a dark metallic bronze-green. They have a bright, metallic violet-blue throat patch, called a gorget. The two middle tail feathers are metallic bronze-green. The outer three pairs of tail feathers are much longer, making their tail look deeply forked. These long feathers are purplish-black with white tips. The two outermost pairs also have a chestnut and a white band.
- Females: Their upper body is metallic bronze or bronze-green. Their underparts are cinnamon-colored, which is darker on their sides and lower belly. Their tail is only slightly forked. The two middle tail feathers are metallic bronze-green with black tips. The outer three pairs have bronze-green bases, a wide black band, and pale cinnamon or white tips.
Where It Lives
The sparkling-tailed woodstar lives in different areas across Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and northern Nicaragua. It likes places that are partly open. This includes the edges of pine-oak forests, bushy secondary forest (forest that has grown back after being cut), and scrubby woods. It usually lives at elevations from 750 to 2,500 m (2,500 to 8,200 ft). Sometimes, it can be found closer to sea level.
How It Behaves
Movement
We don't know much about how sparkling-tailed woodstars move around. They might travel to lower areas during certain seasons.
Feeding Habits
The sparkling-tailed woodstar finds nectar by "trap-lining." This means it flies a regular path, visiting a circuit of flowering plants and trees. It looks for nectar at all levels of the plants, flying slowly like a bee. It seems to feed from many different types of plants. Besides nectar, it also eats insects. It catches these insects by "hawking," which means it flies out from a perch to snatch them in the air.
Reproduction
We know very little about how sparkling-tailed woodstars breed. Some birds found in western Mexico in August were ready to breed. This suggests that their breeding season includes that month.
Sounds It Makes
The sparkling-tailed woodstar's song is a "very high, thin, but musical squeaking." It sings in a continuous stream, going up and down slightly, and can last for many seconds. It sings from a high, open spot. It also sometimes makes "high, sharp, twittering chirps."
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says the sparkling-tailed woodstar is a species of "Least Concern." This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing. It lives in a large area, and even though we don't know its exact population size, it seems to be stable. However, in Mexico, authorities consider it threatened. This is because it's found in scattered areas there, and its habitat is facing challenges.
