Metallura eupogon
The Fiery-throated Metaltail (Metallura eupogon) is a small, dazzling hummingbird, measuring approximately 10-11 cm in length, including its straight black bill, and weighing a mere 4-6 grams. Males are particularly striking, boasting a brilliant, iridescent fiery orange-red gorget that flashes intensely in the sunlight, contrasting with their glittering green upperparts and belly, and a dark, slightly forked tail tipped with coppery-red. Females share a similar green plumage but typically ha...
This hummingbird exclusively inhabits high-altitude Andean cloud forests, elfin forests, and humid montane scrub, typically found at elevations between 2,700 and 3,600 meters, often at the forest edge or within humid clearings.
Primarily nectivorous, feeding on nectar from a variety of tubular flowers, supplemented by small insects gleaned from foliage or caught in flight for essential protein, especially during breeding.
Fiery-throated Metaltails are diurnal, active from dawn to dusk, often spending nights roosting solitarily in dense foliage or sheltered nooks to conserve energy. Their foraging strategy involves trap-lining, where individuals repeatedly visit a circuit of flower patches, hovering deftly to extra...
The Fiery-throated Metaltail is strictly endemic to the central Andes of Peru, found exclusively within a relatively restricted geographic area. Its primary distribution lies in the Cordillera Vilcabamba and Cordillera Urubamba mountain ranges, stretching across parts of the Cusco and JunÃn regio...
Least Concern
- The Fiery-throated Metaltail's dazzling "fiery" gorget can appear dull black until hit by direct sunlight, revealing its true vibrant orange-red hue. - Despite its small size, this hummingbird is fiercely territorial, often seen aggressively chasing away much larger birds from its preferred fee...