Viridian Metaltail (Metallura williami) [XC53646]
by Niels Krabbe from El Bosque, Reserva Zona Alta Rio Quindio, Quindio, Colombia (song)
Viridian Metaltail (Metallura williami) [XC238593]
by Martin St-Michel from Morona-Santiago: Quebrada Galgal\u00e1n, Ecuador (call, calls)
Subspecies
Forms superspecies with Scaled Metaltail (Metallura aeneocauda), Fire-throated Metaltail (Metallura eupogon), Coppery Metaltail (Metallura theresiae), Neblina Metaltail (Metallura odomae) and Violet-throated Metaltail (Metallura baroni). Recently recorded as occurring sympatrically with Neblina Metaltail (Metallura odomae) in Podocarpus National Park (southern Ecuador), indicating that this part of superspecies may not hold good. Also recently found to be sympatric with Violet-throated Metaltail (Metallura baroni) at R Mazan in Azuay (southern Ecuador), though altitudinally segregated, occurring at lower elevations. Some authors have considered the subspecies to constitute four distinct species. Subspecies primolinus and atrigularis form a zone of intergradation in central Ecuador (Chimborazo). Subspecies primolinus sometimes misspelt as primolina, but is masculine noun based on name of Prince Primoli, grandson of central. L. Bonaparte.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
recisa Wetmore, 1970 - Páramo de Frontino in Antioquia (north-central Colombia).
williami (DeLattre & Bourcier, 1846) - Both slopes of central Andes in Colombia.
primolina Bourcier, 1853 - Eastern Andes of southern Colombia (Narino) and northern Ecuador.
atrigularis Salvin, 1893 - Southern Ecuador, in Azuay and Loja (Cordillera de Chilla).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet