Chalcostigma stanleyi
The Blue-mantled Thornbill (Chalcostigma stanleyi) is a striking, small hummingbird endemic to the high-altitude Andes of South America. Measuring approximately 11-12 cm (4.3-4.7 in) in length and weighing around 5-7 grams, it is distinguished by its relatively short, straight, needle-like black bill and vibrant iridescent gorget. Males boast a spectacular gorget, primarily brilliant purplish-blue to violet, often framed by a narrower emerald-green or coppery-red band, extending onto the mala...
This species predominantly inhabits high-Andean scrub, paramo, humid montane forest edges, and Polylepis woodlands, typically found between 2,800 to 4,200 meters (9,200-13,800 feet) elevation.
Its diet primarily consists of nectar gleaned from a variety of flowering shrubs and herbs, supplemented significantly by small insects and spiders. It forages by both hovering at flowers and gleaning invertebrates from foliage and webs.
The Blue-mantled Thornbill is a diurnal and often solitary hummingbird, actively foraging throughout the day and likely roosting solitarily in dense vegetation to conserve heat at night. Its foraging strategy is bimodal; it hovers to extract nectar from small flowers but also skillfully gleans in...
The Blue-mantled Thornbill is a resident, non-migratory species found exclusively in the high Andes of South America. Its distribution stretches from the central Andes of Colombia (isolated populations in the Nariño department) through Ecuador and Peru, extending south into central Bolivia. In Ec...
Least Concern
- The 'mantle' in its name refers to the blue-grayish cast of its back and underparts, contrasting with the male's vibrant gorget. - It possesses a uniquely short, straight, needle-like bill, common to the *Chalcostigma* genus, adapted for both nectaring and insect gleaning. - This species is a h...