Alternative name: Variable Mountain Gem
- Lampornis castaneoventris
Includes: Gray-tailed Mountain-gem
Identification
122 mm / 5 in Long
• Medium size
• Same size and shape appearance as all other members of genus Lampornis
• Bill is black and straight
• Iris dark shade of brown
• Dark brown toes and lower leg
• Bottom of feet light shade of flesh
• Dark feathers covering ears (auriculars)
• Long, white stripe angling down behind the eyes
• Difference in appearance between female and male
• Male's breast and upper portion is green, belly is a dark shade of gray with white throat.
• Female is green upper, underneath is shades of reddish-brown
.
Distribution
Western Panama and southern Costa Rica.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies recognized, sometimes split into two species.
Purple-throated Mountain-gem has in the past been included in this species.
Subspecies
- L. c. castaneoventris in the montane forests of extreme western Panama - White-throated Mountain-gem
- L. c. cinereicauda in southern Costa Rica (Cordillera de Talamanca) - Gray-tailed Mountain-gem
Habitat
Settled areas, planted areas in those settlements, close to and in the edge of forests and shrub areas.
Behaviour
Breeding
A typical nest is placed 1-3 meters/3-10 ft above the ground in a bush, or similar structure, at the forest edge or field.
The nest is a rounded cup shape made of fine plant fibers and moss-like material on the outer portion.
The number of eggs laid, their color and size, and other data concerning reproduction is not available in a published form.
Diet
Bugs, nectar and hummingbird feeders
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Juárez-Jovel, R. C. (2020). White-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis castaneoventris), 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.wtmgem1.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) White-throated Mountain-gem. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 10 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-throated_Mountain-gem
