Black-tailed Trainbearer

About the Black-tailed Trainbearer

The black-tailed trainbearer (Lesbia victoriae) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found between 2500 and 3800m in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.

Males measure between 21 and 24 centimeters long, including the long tail. They are mostly green, with long black tail feathers and an iridescent green patch on the chest and throat. Females are between 13.5 and 14.5 centimeters in length. They differ from the male in having a shorter tail and white underparts with green spots. The black-tailed trainbearer has a longer, more decurved bill and (in males) a longer, more curved tail than the green-tailed trainbearer, and also tends to be duller green overall.

With a wing length of 59.9mm, Lesbia victoriae victoriae is the largest subspecies in the genus Lesbia. The black-tailed trainbearer is widely distributed in central and northern Andes from Colombia through Ecuador to Peru, at altitudes between 2500 and 3800 meters.

Three subspecies are currently recognised. Lesbia... Wikipedia →