Long-billed Starthroat

About the Long-billed Starthroat

The long-billed starthroat (Heliomaster longirostris) is a species of hummingbird in the "mountain gems", tribe Lampornithini in subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Mexico, Central America, Trinidad, and all but the four southernmost countries of South America.

At one time the long-billed starthroat was placed in genus Anthoscenus but since the mid-1900s has had its current placement in Heliomaster. It has three subspecies, the nominate H. l. longirostris, H. l. pallidicepts, and H. l. albicrissa.

The long-billed starthroat is 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) long. Males weigh 5.5 to 7.1 g (0.19 to 0.25 oz) and females about 6.5 g (0.23 oz). Both sexes of all subspecies have a long, almost straight, black bill and a small white spot behind the eye.

Males of the nominate subspecies have a glittering blue to greenish blue crown; the rest of its upperparts are dark bronzy green with the exception of a white stripe down the center of the rump. The face is black below the crown and has a white malar stripe below the black. Its tail is rather short and square-tipped. The feathers are bronzy green near the body and black away from it, and the outer... Wikipedia →