Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Alternative names: Margaret's Hummingbird; Amethyst-throated Mountaingem

Photo by tomjenner
La Tigra National Park, Honduras, August 2003

Lampornis amethystinus

Identification

11·5–12·5 cm

• Dark green crown
• Grey auriculars
• Black bill, slightly decurved

Distribution

Central America: found in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 4 subspecies^[1]

• L. a. amethystinus:

• Mountains of eastern Mexico (Nayarit to southern Tamaulipas and eastern Oaxaca)

• L. a. salvini:

• Highlands of southern Mexico (Chiapas) to Guatemala, El Salvador

Photo by tomjenner
La Tigra National Park, Honduras, August 2003

• L. a. nobilis:

• Highlands of Honduras

• L. a. margaritae:

• Mountains of south-western Mexico (Michoacan, Guerrero and western Oaxaca)

In addition, L. a. circumventus and L. a. brevirostris are recognised by some authors^[2]

Habitat

Moist montanes.

Behaviour

Diet

The diet includes nectar from a variety of flowers.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 22 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Amethyst-throated_Mountain-gem

External Links

Search for photos of Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem in the gallery