Violet-tailed Sylph

About the Violet-tailed Sylph

The violet-tailed sylph (Aglaiocercus coelestis) is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. The taxonomy of genus Aglaiocercus and of the violet-tailed sylph in particular are complicated. The genus also includes two other sylphs, the long-tailed (A. kingii) and Venezuelan (A. berlepschi), and the three have several times been suggested to be either one species, or two with the violet-tailed being a subspecies of long-tailed. Several additional species have been proposed for inclusion but they have almost conclusively been shown to be hybrids with kingii or one of the other sylphs. Since at least the early 2000s taxonomists have settled on the three-species treatment. The violet-tailed sylph has two subspecies, the nominate A. c. coelestis and A. c. aethereus.

The male long-tailed sylphs are 18 to 21 cm (7.1 to 8.3 in) long including the 10 to 15 cm (3.9 to 5.9 in) outer tail feathers. Females are 9.5 to 9.7 cm (3.7 to 3.8 in) long. The species weighs 4.6 to 5.2 g (0.16 to 0.18 oz). Both subspecies have a short black bill. Males of the nominate subspecies... Wikipedia →