Chrysuronia goudoti
The Shining-green Hummingbird (Chrysuronia goudoti) is a vibrant, medium-sized hummingbird, typically measuring 9-10 cm (3.5-3.9 in) in length and weighing around 4-5 grams. Males are stunningly iridescent, primarily appearing brilliant shining green on their throat and upper breast, often shifting to coppery-gold or bronze in different lights, with a bronzy-green back and a pale grayish-white belly. A key field mark is its relatively straight, medium-long bill, which is black with a distinct...
This hummingbird primarily inhabits humid montane forests, forest edges, secondary growth, and cultivated areas like coffee plantations, typically found at elevations between 500 and 2,000 meters.
Its diet primarily consists of nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants, supplemented by small insects and spiders. It feeds by hovering at flowers to sip nectar and by hawking for insects in mid-air or gleaning them from foliage.
Shining-green Hummingbirds are diurnal, highly active foragers, often employing a 'traplining' strategy where they visit a regular circuit of flower patches. Males are fiercely territorial, aggressively defending rich flower sources from other hummingbirds, insects, and even larger birds through ...
The Shining-green Hummingbird is a resident species found primarily in northwestern South America, with its distribution spanning across specific regions of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. In Colombia, it occurs on the Caribbean slope, throughout the Santa Marta Mountains, and across the Andes,...
Least Concern
- Hummingbirds, including the Shining-green, have one of the highest metabolic rates of any animal, requiring them to feed almost constantly throughout the day. - They can enter a state of torpor on cold nights or during periods of food scarcity, drastically slowing their metabolism to conserve e...