White-throated daggerbill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids White-throated daggerbill
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Trochilidae
Genus:	Schistes
Species:	S. albogularis
Binomial name
Schistes albogularis Gould, 1852
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Synonyms
Schistes geoffroyi albogularis

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The white-throated daggerbill is a small, colorful hummingbird. It is also known as the white-throated wedgebill or western wedge-billed hummingbird. This amazing bird lives in the forests of Colombia and Ecuador. Its scientific name is Schistes albogularis.

About the Daggerbill's Name

Scientists group animals together based on how they are related. The white-throated daggerbill belongs to the same group, or genus, as another bird called Geoffroy's daggerbill. For a long time, these two birds were thought to be the same species.

However, in 2018, bird experts decided they were different species. Now, they are both called "daggerbills" because of their unique beaks. The white-throated daggerbill is a unique species, meaning it does not have different types or subspecies.

What Does a Daggerbill Look Like?

The white-throated daggerbill is a small bird. It is about 8.6 to 9.3 centimeters (3.4 to 3.7 inches) long. It weighs only 3.5 to 4.1 grams (0.12 to 0.14 ounces). That's about the weight of two pennies!

This hummingbird gets its name from its very narrow, sharply pointed beak. Both male and female daggerbills are mostly green.

• Males: They have a shiny green forehead. They also have bright violet-blue patches on the sides of their throat. These patches can sometimes go up onto their face. Males also have a white stripe across their upper chest and a small white spot behind each eye.
• Females: Their foreheads are not shiny. Their throat patches are smaller and mostly blue. They have a plain white throat without any markings.

Where Do Daggerbills Live?

The white-throated daggerbill lives in the western Andes mountains. You can find them in Colombia and western Ecuador.

These birds like to live in dense cloudforests. They often stay near streams. They can be found at high elevations, usually between 800 and 2000 meters (2,600 and 6,500 feet) above sea level.

How Daggerbills Behave

Daggerbill Movement

White-throated daggerbills usually stay in one area. They do not travel far. However, after they have their young, they might move to slightly different elevations.

What Daggerbills Eat

The white-throated daggerbill looks for food in thick plants. They search from close to the ground up to medium heights.

• Nectar: They drink nectar from tube-shaped flowers. They get nectar from many different shrubs, vines, and small trees. Sometimes, they are "nectar robbers." This means they pierce the bottom of a flower to get nectar without helping to pollinate the plant.
• Insects: They also catch small insects. They can catch them while flying or pick them off plants.

Daggerbill Life Cycle and Reproduction

Scientists do not know much about how white-throated daggerbills breed. We do not have information about their nesting habits or how they raise their young yet.

Daggerbill Sounds

The white-throated daggerbill has a special song. It is a series of two different high-pitched notes. The song sounds like "tsit...seet...tsit...seet..." and is repeated at an uneven speed.

Daggerbill Conservation Status

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has looked at the white-throated daggerbill. They have listed it as a species of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.

We do not know exactly how many daggerbills there are. However, experts believe their numbers are stable. These birds are considered rare in some places but common in others. They also live in several protected areas, which helps keep them safe.