Ramphomicron dorsale
The Black-backed Thornbill (*Ramphomicron dorsale*) is a diminutive and striking hummingbird endemic to the high Andes, celebrated for the male's unique plumage. Measuring approximately 7 cm (2.8 inches) in length and weighing around 3.5 grams, it possesses one of the shortest bills relative to its body size among all hummingbirds, typically just 5-6 mm long. Males are instantly recognizable by their iridescent emerald-green upperparts culminating in a distinctive glossy black back, a brillia...
This species exclusively inhabits high-elevation humid montane and cloud forests, elfin forests, and the shrubby edges of páramo habitats, typically found between 2,500 and 3,800 meters (8,200-12,500 feet) in elevation.
Their diet primarily consists of nectar collected from small-flowered shrubs and epiphytes, supplemented by small arthropods, such as gnats and flies, which they expertly hawk in flight.
Black-backed Thornbills are solitary and highly active diurnal feeders, constantly flitting among flowers or hawking insects. Males are known to be aggressively territorial, defending prime feeding patches against rivals and other hummingbird species with chattering calls and swift aerial chases....
The Black-backed Thornbill is a resident species distributed throughout the high Andes of South America, with its range extending from central and eastern Colombia, southward through Ecuador, and into northern Peru. In Colombia, it is found primarily in the Central and Eastern Cordilleras, while ...
Least Concern
- The Black-backed Thornbill possesses one of the shortest bills relative to its body size among all known hummingbird species. - Its scientific name, *Ramphomicron dorsale*, literally translates to 'small-billed' (Ramphomicron) and 'of the back' (dorsale), referring to its prominent black back a...