Chalcostigma heteropogon
The Bronze-tailed Thornbill (Chalcostigma heteropogon) is a small, high-altitude hummingbird, measuring approximately 11-13 cm (4.3-5.1 in) in length and weighing a mere 4-5 grams. Males are particularly striking, featuring an iridescent, scaly green gorget that can flash brilliant green, blue, or violet depending on the light, and a distinctive bronze-purple, deeply forked tail that is a key identification mark. Females are generally duller, lacking the iridescent gorget but still possessing...
This species primarily inhabits high-altitude paramo, sub-paramo, montane scrubland, and humid forest edges, typically found between 2,000 and 4,000 meters (6,500-13,000 feet) above sea level.
Their diet consists primarily of nectar gathered from small flowers and a significant amount of small insects, which they glean from vegetation and, less frequently, catch in flight.
Bronze-tailed Thornbills are diurnal, spending their days actively foraging. Unlike many hummingbirds that solely hover, they frequently perch on branches and leaves to glean small insects from foliage and bark, demonstrating a unique foraging flexibility. Males are known to be territorial, defen...
The Bronze-tailed Thornbill is endemic to the northern Andes of South America, with its distribution spanning across specific high-altitude regions of Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. In Venezuela, it is found in the Andes of Mérida, Táchira, and Trujillo states. Its range extends south through ...
Least Concern
- The Bronze-tailed Thornbill is one of the highest-altitude hummingbirds in the world, regularly found above 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). - Unlike most hummingbirds, it spends a considerable amount of time perched, gleaning insects directly from leaves and branches, a behavior more typical of a fl...