Alternative name: Geoffroy's Wedgebill
- Schistes geoffroyi
Identification
This species has a very sharp bill (it is very narrow when seen from above).
Male
- The chin and throat are glittering green
- Front of crown is dull green
- White neck-sides are separated by central green throat
- Post-ocular stripe is fairly long
- Sides of head has a dusky area around the eye, and below that is a bluish/purple area above the white on the neck
- Lower back and rump is coppery-bronze
- Underside becomes gradually paler to white in the vent area
Female differs in having upper throat and chin area white with heavy green spotting.
Similar species
White-throated Daggerbill differs in having white on lower central throat connecting the white areas on side of neck (males) or throat and chin entirely white (female). It also differ in a much shorter post-ocular stripe (more a spot), underside that is entirely green including the vent area, and lower back and rump are green.
Distribution
Eastern Andes of Colombia and Venezuela, mostly eastern slope of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are recognized[1]:
- S. g. geoffroyi
- Andes of e Colombia to n Venezuela and e Peru
- S. g. chapmani
- Andes of central Bolivia (Cochabamba)
Formerly considered conspecific with White-throated Daggerbill under the name Wedge-billed Hummingbird.
Habitat
Moist montane forests.
Behaviour
This species uses its sharp bill to pierce a hole near the bottom of a flower to rob the nectar through this back door. It does so at relatively large flowers such as Heliconia.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- SACC proposal (not passed) to lump genus Schistes into Augastes
- Schuchmann, K.L., P. F. D. Boesman, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Geoffroy's Daggerbill (Schistes geoffroyi), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.webhum1.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Geoffroy's Daggerbill. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Geoffroy%27s_Daggerbill
