Chalcostigma herrani
The Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, *Chalcostigma herrani*, is an exquisite and diminutive hummingbird endemic to the high Andes, celebrated for its spectacular iridescent gorget. Measuring only about 10-12 cm (4-4.7 inches) in length and weighing a mere 3-5 grams, this tiny marvel possesses a straight, needle-like black bill perfectly adapted for probing small flowers. The male's distinctive field mark is its "rainbow beard" - a gorget that shimmers with an astonishing array of colors, transition...
Found primarily in high-altitude paramo, sub-paramo, and humid scrubland, often at the edge of montane cloud forests. It thrives at elevations typically ranging from 2,800 to over 4,000 meters above sea level.
Feeds primarily on nectar from a variety of small, high-Andean flowering plants, supplemented significantly by small arthropods (insects and spiders) gleaned from vegetation or caught in flight.
This diurnal hummingbird is an active and seemingly tireless feeder throughout the day, often becoming torpid during cold nights to conserve energy. Foraging involves precise hovering to extract nectar from small, often bell-shaped flowers, and gleaning minute arthropods from foliage or by aerial...
The Rainbow-bearded Thornbill is a resident species distributed throughout the high Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, and far northern Peru. In Colombia, it is found in the Central and Eastern Andes Cordilleras, extending south through the Andes of Ecuador. Its range continues into the far northern ext...
Least Concern
- The Rainbow-bearded Thornbill's gorget can display up to seven distinct colors, making it one of the most vividly 'bearded' hummingbirds in the world. - It thrives at altitudes where most other bird species struggle, often found above 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) in the Andes. - Its straight, nee...