Chlorestes cyanus
The White-chinned Sapphire (Chlorestes cyanus) is a small, dazzling hummingbird, averaging 9-10 cm (3.5-4 in) in length and weighing a mere 3.5-5 grams. Males are striking with iridescent green upperparts, a brilliant metallic blue throat and chin that gives the species its name, a white belly, and a distinctive deeply forked, dark tail. Females share the green upperparts but have a duller, sometimes speckled, blue throat, whiter underparts with greenish flanks, and a less deeply forked tail,...
This species thrives in subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, forest edges, clearings, and cultivated areas like gardens and plantations, typically found below 1000 meters elevation, though occasionally up to 1500 meters.
Primarily nectivorous, feeding on nectar from a diverse array of flowering plants, supplemented by small arthropods like insects and spiders, which are caught by gleaning or hawking.
White-chinned Sapphires are highly diurnal, exhibiting constant activity to fuel their high metabolism, often perching inconspicuously at dusk to roost. They are expert foragers, primarily feeding on nectar by hovering, but also gleaning small insects from foliage and hawking them in mid-air to s...
The White-chinned Sapphire boasts an extensive distribution across South America, primarily as a resident species with no significant migratory movements. Its breeding range spans from eastern Venezuela and Trinidad, through the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana), extending into a vast exp...
Least Concern
- The White-chinned Sapphire's wings beat an astonishing 80 times per second during normal flight. - Its heart can beat up to 1,200 times per minute, showcasing its incredible metabolic rate. - This tiny bird can consume its entire body weight in nectar daily to sustain its high energy demands. -...