Dusky hummingbird

Dusky hummingbird
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Clade:	Strisores
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Trochilidae
Tribe:	Trochilini
Genus:	Phaeoptila Gould, 1861
Species:	P. sordida
Binomial name
Phaeoptila sordida (Gould, 1859)
Synonyms
Cyanomyia sordida (Gould), Cynanthus sordidus [3]

The dusky hummingbird (Phaeoptila sordida) is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Mexico. ^{[4] [3]}

Taxonomy and systematics

The dusky hummingbird was formerly placed in the genus Cynanthus . Based on a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 and a 2017 publication, the North American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society, the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), and the Clements taxonomy moved it to the resurrected genus Phaeoptila that had been introduced in 1861 by John Gould. ^{[5] [6] [7] [4] [8]} However, as of 2020 BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) retained it in Cynanthus. ^[3]

The dusky hummingbird is the only species in genus Phaeoptila and has no subspecies. ^[4]

Description

The dusky hummingbird is 9 to 10.6 cm (3.5 to 4.2 in) long. Males weigh about 4.3 g (0.15 oz) and females about 3.4 g (0.12 oz). Males have a bright red bill with a black tip. Their upperparts are bronze green to greenish bronze that is more browish or grayish on the crown and uppertail coverts. The tail is dull greenish bronze or grayish brown with a greenish gloss and dusky feather bases. It has a grayish streak behind the eye and dusky cheeks. It does not have an iridescent gorget like most other hummingbirds, but a deep gray throat with greenish flecks. Its underparts are slightly lighter gray down to the undertail coverts, which are buffy. It has white leg tufts. The female is much like the male. However, its bill is a duller red with a dark tip, its outer tail feathers have a blackish blue band near the end and brownish-gray tips, and its underparts are a paler gray. ^[9]

Distribution and habitat

The dusky hummingbird is found in southwestern Mexico from Michoacán and Morelos to Oaxaca. It inhabits arid scrub and other semi-open to open landscapes with some trees. In elevation it ranges between 900 and 2,200 m (3,000 and 7,200 ft). ^[9]

Behavior

Movement

The movement patterns of the dusky hummingbird, if any, have not been described.

Feeding

The dusky hummingbird forages for nectar in the mid- to upper levels of trees. It also feeds on the flowers of a variety of columnar cacti and agave. It spreads and wags its tail while feeding. In addition to nectar it also feeds on small arthropods. ^[9]

Breeding

Dusky hummingbirds have been observered breeding in March, May, August, November, and December. The nest is a small cup of plant fibers lined with soft plant down and covered with leaf and bark bits. Three were noted between 1.2 and 2 m (4 and 7 ft) above the ground in shrubs. The incubation period and time to fledging are not known. ^[9]

Songs and calls Listen to dusky hummingbird on xeno-canto

Vocalization

What is thought to be the dusky hummingbird's song is "a quiet, dry, chippering warble". It makes "dry, slightly buzzy chips" and a chattering call that is described as similar to that of the broad-billed hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) but "softer and more liquid or spluttering". ^[9]

Status

The IUCN has assessed the dusky hummingbird as being of Least Concern. It has a fairly large range and a population of at least 50,000 mature individuals that is believed to be stable. No specific threats have been identified. ^[1]

References

1. BirdLife International (2020). "Dusky Hummingbird Cynanthus sordidus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
3. HBW and BirdLife International (2020) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world Version 5. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v5_Dec20.zip [.xls zipped 1 MB] retrieved 27 May 2021
4. Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (January 2022). "Hummingbirds". IOC World Bird List. v 12.1. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
5. McGuire, J.; Witt, C.; Remsen, J.V.; Corl, A.; Rabosky, D.; Altshuler, D.; Dudley, R. (2014). "Molecular phylogenetics and the diversification of hummingbirds". Current Biology. 24 (8): 910–916. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.03.016 . PMID   24704078.
6. Stiles, F.G.; Remsen, J.V. Jr.; Mcguire, J.A. (2017). "The generic classification of the Trochilini (Aves: Trochilidae): Reconciling taxonomy with phylogeny". Zootaxa. 4353 (3): 401–424. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4353.3.
7. "Check-list of North and Middle American Birds". American Ornithological Society. June 29, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
8. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ Retrieved August 25, 2021
9. Arizmendi, M. d. C., C. I. Rodríguez-Flores, C. A. Soberanes-González, and T. S. Schulenberg (2021). Dusky Hummingbird (Phaeoptila sordida), version 1.1. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.dushum1.01.1 retrieved July 29, 2022