Microstilbon burmeisteri
The Slender-tailed Woodstar, *Microstilbon burmeisteri*, is a jewel of the high Andes, renowned for its diminutive size and the male's striking, elongated tail. Measuring just 7-10 cm, with males featuring a tail that can account for nearly half their length, this tiny hummingbird weighs a mere 2.5-3.5 grams. Males boast brilliant iridescent green plumage on their back and crown, a dazzling purplish-blue to violet gorget, and a deeply forked, slender, dark blackish-purple tail, along with a d...
Found primarily in subtropical and tropical dry or humid montane forests, forest edges, clearings, and degraded areas, typically at elevations between 1,000 and 2,500 meters.
Primarily consumes nectar from small, often tubular flowers; supplements its diet with small arthropods (insects and spiders) caught by hawking or gleaning.
Slender-tailed Woodstars are highly active diurnal birds, constantly foraging throughout the day. They exhibit classic hummingbird foraging techniques, primarily hovering to extract nectar from small flowers but also hawking small insects in flight or gleaning them from foliage. Males are fiercel...
The Slender-tailed Woodstar is strictly endemic to the inter-Andean valleys and humid montane forests of central Bolivia and northwestern Argentina. In Bolivia, its range extends through the departments of La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Chuquisaca, and Tarija. Further south, it is found in the A...
Least Concern
- The male Slender-tailed Woodstar's tail can be nearly as long as its entire body, making it one of the most disproportionately tailed hummingbirds. - It is the sole member of its genus, Microstilbon, highlighting its unique evolutionary distinctiveness among hummingbirds. - Despite its tiny siz...