Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina)

Family
Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)

Size
7.60 - 9 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Loddiges, 1832)

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical moist montane forest, high altitude shrubland. From 1,500 - 4,200 m, occasionally down to 600 m.

Range (Guide)

Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (32)...)

Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina) [XC690214]
by Peter Boesman from Planada de las Diglossas, Colombia (song)

Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina) [XC235884]
by Niels Krabbe from Magdalena: San Lorenzo ridge, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia (song, song from perch)

Subspecies
Geographical variation is complex, reflecting a southern origin and progressive morphological change in respect of female throat and breast coloration towards north. Subspecies districta in northern Colombia forms "leapfrog" pattern with subspecies smaragdinicollis in Peru and northern Bolivia.

Proposed subspecies peruviana synonymous with smaragdinicollis.

The following 7 subspecies are recognised:

districta Bangs, 1899 - Santa Marta and Perijá Mts (north-eastern Colombia).
chloropogon (Cabanis & Heine, 1860) - Caribbean coastal range (northern Venezuela).
oreopola Todd, 1913 - Andes of Venezuela (Lara, Trujillo, M�rida).
tyrianthina (Loddiges, 1832) - North-western Venezuela (south-western Táchira) through all Andean chains of Colombia and eastern and southern Ecuador to extreme northern Peru.
quitensis Gould, 1861 - North-western Ecuador.
septentrionalis Hartert, 1899 - Andes of Peru (west of R Marañón).
smaragdinicollis (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1838) - Eastern Andes of Peru and northern Bolivia.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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