Phaeochroa cuvierii
The Scaly-breasted Hummingbird (Phaeochroa cuvierii) is a medium-sized and robust hummingbird, typically measuring 11-13 cm (4.3-5.1 in) in length and weighing between 6-10 grams (0.21-0.35 oz). It is uniquely distinguished by its 'scaly' appearance on the breast and throat, formed by dusky or bronze-edged feathers over a paler, often whitish-green base, giving it a somewhat dusky and mottled look. A prominent field mark is its long, slightly decurved black bill, and a dusky, moderately forke...
This species primarily inhabits humid tropical and subtropical lowlands and foothills, favoring forest edges, clearings, secondary growth, coffee plantations, and mature gardens. It typically occurs from sea level up to approximately 2000 meters in elevation.
Their diet consists primarily of nectar, obtained from a wide variety of flowering plants such as heliconias, gingers, and various shrubs, supplemented by small arthropods caught in flight or gleaned from foliage.
Scaly-breasted Hummingbirds are diurnal, solitary birds, actively foraging from dawn until dusk with brief periods of rest. They employ a 'trap-lining' foraging strategy, regularly visiting a circuit of widely dispersed flowers, but are also highly territorial, fiercely defending rich patches of ...
The Scaly-breasted Hummingbird has a wide and continuous distribution across Central America and northern South America. Its range extends from southern Mexico (specifically Oaxaca and Chiapas) through the Caribbean and Pacific lowlands of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and P...
Least Concern
- The Scaly-breasted Hummingbird is the only species in its genus, *Phaeochroa*, making it a unique evolutionary branch within the hummingbird family. - Its distinctive 'scaly' breast pattern, which gives the bird its common name, is formed by the dusky edges of its otherwise whitish-green breast...