Aglaiocercus kingii
The Long-tailed Sylph, Aglaiocercus kingii, is an exquisitely beautiful hummingbird endemic to the Andes, renowned for the male's spectacular tail feathers. Males measure 16-19 cm in length, with their deeply forked, iridescent blue-violet tail streamers contributing up to 11 cm of that length, contrasting with their brilliant metallic green body and gorget. Females are significantly smaller at 9.7-10.7 cm, lacking the long tail but displaying distinctive green upperparts, white underparts, c...
Found in humid montane evergreen forests, cloud forests, and forest edges, often ranging from 900 to 2,800 meters in elevation, occasionally higher.
Primarily nectar from small, tubular flowers, supplemented by small insects caught in flight or gleaned from vegetation.
Long-tailed Sylphs are diurnal and primarily solitary, except during breeding. Males are fiercely territorial, defending prime feeding patches with aggressive aerial chases and vocalizations. Foraging involves trap-lining, where individuals visit a circuit of favored flowers for nectar, supplemen...
The Long-tailed Sylph is a resident species found along the Andes mountain range in South America, spanning from western Venezuela through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and extending south into central Bolivia. Its distribution is generally continuous within suitable montane forest habitats, though sp...
Least Concern
- The male Long-tailed Sylph possesses one of the longest tails relative to its body size among all hummingbird species. - The iridescent blue and violet hues of the male's tail are structural colors, meaning they change with the angle of light, appearing brilliant in specific conditions. - Femal...