Lesbia nuna
The Green-tailed Trainbearer, *Lesbia nuna*, is an exquisite and distinctive hummingbird of the high Andes, instantly recognizable by the male's remarkably elongated, iridescent green, deeply forked tail, which can constitute more than half its total body length of 15-18 cm. Females are smaller, typically 10-12 cm, with a significantly shorter, though still elegant, tail. Both sexes exhibit a shimmering green body plumage, contrasting with a short, straight, black bill, a trait uncommon among...
Found primarily in high-altitude scrub, open paramo edges, shrubby slopes, and cloud forest borders, often frequenting gardens and cultivated areas from 2,000 to 4,000 meters elevation.
Feeds primarily on nectar from a variety of high-Andean flowering plants, supplemented by small arthropods caught in flight or gleaned from foliage.
Green-tailed Trainbearers are active, diurnal foragers, spending their days darting between flowering plants. They are primarily trap-liners, following established routes to revisit nectar-rich flowers, often hovering with rapid wingbeats to feed. Males are notably territorial, aggressively defen...
The Green-tailed Trainbearer is endemic to the Andes mountains of South America, distributed along the western cordilleras from southern Colombia, through Ecuador and Peru, to northwestern Bolivia. Its range is largely continuous, inhabiting high-altitude scrubland, paramo edges, and humid temper...
Least Concern
- The male Green-tailed Trainbearer's tail can be up to twice the length of its body, making it one of the most disproportionately long tails in the hummingbird family. - Despite its extravagant tail, this hummingbird is an agile flyer, capable of precise maneuvers even in strong mountain winds. ...