Metallura tyrianthina
The Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina) is a captivating small hummingbird, measuring approximately 8-9 cm (3.1-3.5 inches) in length and weighing 3.5-5.5 grams. Its most distinctive feature is a glittering, iridescent tail that shifts from coppery-bronze to fiery purple or green depending on the light and subspecies, a trait that gives the "metaltail" its name and "Tyrian" its regal purple association. The body plumage is generally dark greenish-bronze, with a prominent white postocular...
This species thrives in high-altitude Andean cloud forests, humid montane scrub, and sub-páramo zones, typically found between 2,000 and 4,000 meters (6,500-13,000 feet) elevation.
Primarily nectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of small, tubular flowers, but also supplements its diet with small insects such as gnats and flies, often hawked in mid-air.
Tyrian Metaltails are diurnal, actively foraging throughout the day, often seen darting between flowering shrubs and trees in the high Andes. Males are highly territorial, aggressively defending prime nectar sources and display perches from other hummingbirds and even larger insects, performing a...
The Tyrian Metaltail boasts a wide but disjunct distribution throughout the high Andes, extending from western Venezuela, through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, south to central Bolivia. It is a resident species across its range, exhibiting altitudinal movements rather than long-distance migrations...
Least Concern
- The "Tyrian" in its name refers to Tyrian purple, an ancient dye, a nod to the rich purple hues sometimes seen in its iridescent tail. - Its tail can appear coppery-bronze, green, blue, or vibrant purple depending entirely on the angle of light and observer's position, making identification cha...