Discosura conversii
The Green Thorntail, *Discosura conversii*, is a jewel-toned, diminutive hummingbird that enchants birders with its vibrant iridescence and uniquely structured tail. Males, measuring approximately 7.5-8.5 cm (3.0-3.3 inches) and weighing 3-4 grams, sport a resplendent emerald-green plumage, particularly striking on the crown and back, contrasting with a brilliant blue-green gorget and blackish underparts. A key field mark for males is their deeply forked, spiky black tail, where the outer rec...
Found in humid evergreen forests, forest edges, clearings, and sometimes coffee plantations, typically occurring from sea level up to 1600 meters, occasionally higher.
Feeds primarily on nectar from a variety of small, tubular flowers, supplemented by small insects and spiders caught in flight or gleaned from vegetation.
The Green Thorntail is a diurnal and predominantly solitary hummingbird, actively foraging throughout the day and roosting inconspicuously in dense foliage at night. It primarily engages in trapline feeding, visiting a regular circuit of flowering plants, but also hovers adeptly to glean small ar...
The Green Thorntail is a resident species distributed across humid tropical and subtropical lowlands and foothills of Central and northwestern South America. Its range extends from the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica and both slopes of Panama, continuing southward through the Pacific lowlands and t...
Least Concern
- The male's distinctive spiky tail, which gives the species its name, can be more than half the length of its entire body. - Despite its minuscule size, it's known for its fierce territoriality, often chasing off much larger hummingbirds from favored flower patches. - The Green Thorntail is an e...