Saucerottia saucerottei
The Steely-vented Hummingbird, *Saucerottia saucerottei*, is a vibrant, medium-sized hummingbird renowned for its iridescent green plumage and its striking, namesake violet-blue to steely-blue vent and undertail-coverts. Typically measuring 8 to 9 cm (3.1-3.5 inches) in length and weighing 4 to 5 grams (0.14-0.18 ounces), this species exhibits a glittering blue-green crown and back, contrasting with a duller, dusky-green belly. Its straight, black bill often features a distinctive pinkish or ...
Found in semi-open areas, forest edges, clearings, scrub, secondary growth, gardens, and coffee plantations, typically at elevations from sea level up to 2000 meters, occasionally higher.
Primarily feeds on nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants, supplemented by small arthropods (insects and spiders) caught in flight or gleaned from foliage.
Steely-vented Hummingbirds are highly diurnal, typically perching motionlessly on exposed branches during mid-day and roosting in dense foliage at night to conserve energy. They employ a combination of 'trap-lining'—visiting a circuit of flower patches—and opportunistic foraging for nectar, while...
The Steely-vented Hummingbird is a resident species, found throughout various regions of Central and South America. Its distribution extends from the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and Panama, across much of northern and western Colombia, and into northern Venezuela, reaching southwest Ecuador. Seve...
Least Concern
- The Steely-vented Hummingbird's name refers to the iridescent violet-blue undertail-coverts, which shimmer with a metallic, 'steely' sheen. - Like all hummingbirds, it has an incredibly high metabolism, requiring it to feed almost constantly throughout the day to sustain its energy needs. - Dur...