Saucerottia viridigaster
The Green-bellied Hummingbird, *Saucerottia viridigaster*, is a striking member of the Trochilidae family, showcasing vibrant emerald and bronze-green plumage. Measuring approximately 9-10 cm in length and weighing between 4.5-5.5 grams, it features glossy green upperparts, an iridescent green throat and breast, which fades to a duller green on the belly. A distinctive deep bronzy-black, deeply forked tail, and a straight, medium-length bill that is black with a pinkish-red base to the lower ...
This hummingbird primarily inhabits subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, forest edges, clearings, and cultivated areas like coffee plantations, typically found between 500 and 2,000 meters in elevation.
Its primary diet consists of nectar from a variety of flowering plants, complemented by small insects and spiders, which are crucial protein sources for adults and developing young.
Green-bellied Hummingbirds are largely solitary, highly territorial birds, fiercely defending prime foraging patches against conspecifics and other hummingbird species. They exhibit a 'trapline' foraging strategy, visiting a regular circuit of flowering plants for nectar, supplemented by aerial h...
The Green-bellied Hummingbird is endemic to the Andes mountains of Colombia and Venezuela, with a distribution fragmented by mountain ranges. In Colombia, it is found along the Eastern Andes, portions of the Central and Western Cordilleras, and the Serranía de Perijá, extending into Venezuela alo...
Least Concern
- The Green-bellied Hummingbird is one of several species in the 'Saucerottia' genus, which was split from the larger 'Amazilia' genus based on genetic studies. - Despite its name, the green on its belly can sometimes appear duller or more bronzy, especially in certain light conditions. - Like al...