Plain-capped Starthroat
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| Heliomaster constantii (Delattre, 1843) |
The Plain-capped Starthroat, Heliomaster constantii, is a large-sized hummingbird. It is 11-12 cm long, and weighs appoximately 7-8 g.
Adults are colored predominantly metallic bronze on their upperparts, tail, back and crown. The bird has a dark eyestripe with a white stripe above and below. The Starthroat also has a white patch on the rump. The throat patch, or gorget, is a metallic violet-red. The breast and underparts are a grayish white. The bill is straight, long and very slender. It is darkly colored. The female is slightly less colorful than the male.
The breeding habitat occurs in various habitats of western Mexico, (the Sierra Madre Occidentals), to southern Costa Rica. It has occasionaly been recorded in southeasternmost Arizona of the United States, the Madrean sky islands of the Sierra Madre ranges.
These birds feed on nectar from flowers and flowering trees using a long extendable tongue or catch insects on the wing.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Heliomaster constantii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
