Black Flowerpiercer

About the Black Flowerpiercer

The black flowerpiercer (Diglossa humeralis) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae of the order Passeriformes. The family Thraupidae is known for tanagers and other very similar species of birds, but it is still facing classification issues. The black flowerpiercer is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist mountains, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest. Adult black flowerpiercers are 13–14 cm in length. They are uniformly black (slightly glossy black with subtle blue gloss in males). They have brown eyes and a black bill with a grey base. Females are a duller black with no blue gloss and their wings and tail are brownish. Juvenile birds are also duller.

D.h. aterrima (Ecuador, south Colombia)- same description as above D.h. humeralis (East Andes in north & south Colombia, southwest Venezuela)- Male dull black with blueish shoulder and small greyish rump; Females are very dark brown with the grey rump less clear.

D.h.nocticolor (Santa Marta in Colombia, Perija in Venezuela)- All black with only slight gloss and dark grey rump, female... Wikipedia →