Urochroa leucura
The Green-backed Hillstar (Urochroa leucura) is a striking, relatively large hummingbird, typically measuring 13-14 cm in length and weighing around 7-8 grams. Its most distinctive field mark is the shimmering iridescent green plumage covering its back and crown, beautifully contrasted by its bright white outer tail feathers, which flash conspicuously in flight. A small but prominent white spot behind the eye further aids identification. Both sexes share a similar appearance, displaying a str...
Found in high-altitude Andean cloud forests, paramo edges, and sub-paramo scrub, typically at elevations between 2,000 and 3,500 meters, occasionally ranging up to 4,000 meters.
Primarily feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, particularly those with deep corollas, supplemented with small insects gleaned from vegetation or hawked in flight.
Green-backed Hillstars are diurnal, spending their days actively foraging, often employing a "traplining" strategy where they visit a circuit of flower patches. They typically feed by hovering expertly in front of blossoms, but will also perch at feeders or on branches to glean insects. Males are...
The Green-backed Hillstar is exclusively found in the Andean highlands of South America, spanning a continuous range from southern Colombia, through Ecuador, and into northern Peru. Its distribution primarily covers the eastern and central cordilleras, generally maintaining a resident population ...
Least Concern
- The Green-backed Hillstar is one of the larger members of the "hillstar" group of hummingbirds. - Its scientific genus, *Urochroa*, literally means "tail-colored," a direct reference to its striking white outer tail feathers. - These hummingbirds are masters of high-altitude living, regularly f...