- Selasphorus ellioti
Atthis ellioti
Identification
One of the world's smallest birds with a length of only 7cm (2.7"). Short, needle-like bill. Both sexes green above, with a rufous tail with a dark subterminal band and white tail tips. Male has a pale line behind the eye, a purple gorget and white underparts with darker flanks. Female lacks the line behind the eye, has dark spots on the throat and has buffy flanks.
Similar Species
Bill shape best separates it from Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Broad-tailed Hummingbird. The very similar Bumblebee Hummingbird, from further north in Mexico, is allopatric.
Distribution
The tiny world distribution is confined to the highlands of Chiapas in southern Mexico, Guatemala, western Honduras and western El Salvador.
Taxonomy
This is a polytypic species[1] consisting of 2 subspecies.
Formerly considered a subspecies of Bumblebee Hummingbird (Atthis heloisa).
Now placed by Clements in the genus Selasphorus.
Subspecies
- S. e. ellioti
Montane forests of southern Mexico (Chiapas) and Guatemala
- S. e. selasphoroides
Humid montane forests of Honduras
Habitat
Highland areas with cloud forest, though it is more prevalent (or maybe just more easily seen) in oven scrubby areas at the forest edge.
Behaviour
Generally sits and sings on low shrubs and feeds on low vegetation. Slow flight and buzzing sound from the wing beats gives the impression of a large insect.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Wine-throated Hummingbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 18 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Wine-throated_Hummingbird
External Links
A page on this species with photos is found on http://tomjenner.com/mayanbirding/thebirds_wine_th_humm.html
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
