A large hummingbird with blue throat in males. Restricted to specific mountain riparian habitats.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The blue-throated mountaingem, also known as the blue-throated mountain-gem or blue-throated hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in tribe Lampornithini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in the United States and Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia — Blue-throated mountaingem Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Large hummingbird with a long black tail boldly tipped white at the corners, gray underparts, and (male) a blue throat that can look dark.
Similar species. Rivoli's (Magnificent) Hummingbird is also large but has a green throat (male) and lacks the big white tail corners; the white tail tips mark Blue-throated.
Voice. A loud, repeated, far-carrying 'seep' — unusually loud for a hummingbird.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Flower nectar; small insects and spiders for protein.
Behavior. One of the largest U.S. hummingbirds; a bird of shaded mountain canyons in the Southwest, often near streams, that dominates feeders.
§ Range
Sky islands of Arizona and New Mexico
§ Habitat
Riparian areas in mountains
§ Threats
Habitat loss, climate change.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the blue-throated mountain-gem is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support southwestern sky island conservation.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Blue-throated mountaingem
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Lampornis clemenciae
- IUCN Red List — search for Lampornis clemenciae
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Lampornis clemenciae
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
