Slender-tailed Woodstar

About the Slender-tailed Woodstar

The slender-tailed woodstar (Microstilbon burmeisteri) is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is the only species placed in the genus Microstilbon. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia.

The slender-tailed woodstar was at one time placed in genus Chaetocercus but was restored to genus Microstilbon by the mid 20th century. The species is the only one in its genus and has no subspecies. The slender-tailed woodstar is 7 to 9 cm (2.8 to 3.5 in) long including its 3 cm (1.2 in) tail. Both sexes have a short, straight, black bill, bronzy green upperparts, and a thin white stripe behind the eye. Males have a reddish purple gorget that flares to the side as "moustache" tufts. The rest of the throat is white, the underparts pale grayish with green mottling on the sides, and the undertail coverts are pale cinnamon. The very narrow forked tail is black. Females have darker cheeks than the male. They do not have the colorful gorget; their underparts are cinnamon-buff. Their central tail feathers are green and the rest cinnamon with a black band near the end. Wikipedia →