Gorgeted woodstar

Gorgeted woodstar
	Female in NE Ecuador
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
	CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Clade:	Strisores
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Trochilidae
Genus:	Chaetocercus
Species:	C. heliodor
Binomial name
	Chaetocercus heliodor; (Bourcier, 1840)
Synonyms
	Acestrura heliodor

Last updated April 14, 2023

The gorgeted woodstar (Chaetocercus heliodor) is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.^[4]^[5]

Taxonomy and systematics

The gorgeted woodstar and several other species in genus Chaetocercus were formerly placed in genus Acestrura but have been in their current position since the late 20th century. It has two subspecies, the nominate C. h. heliodor and C. h. cleavesi.^[3]^[4]

Description

The gorgeted woodstar is 5.8 to 6.4 cm (2.3 to 2.5 in) long. It is the smallest woodstar, a group of species that collectively are among the world's smallest birds. Both sexes have a straight black bill. The nominate male is mostly dark metallic blue-green. It has a pinkish purple gorget that extends across the neck, a grayish line behind the eye, a grayish breast, and white spots on the flanks. The tail is forked, with very short central feathers and outer ones that are bare shafts. The nominate female's upperparts are bronzy green with a rufous rump. Its underparts are cinnamon-rufous and its rounded tail is cinnamon with a black bar near the end. Males of subspecies C. h. cleavesi are darker than the nominate, with a less purplish gorget and a shorter tail.^[6]

Distribution and habitat

The nominate subspecies of gorgeted woodstar is found in the Andes from Venezuela's Mérida state south through Colombia into western Ecuador. C. h. cleavesi is found in the Andes of northeastern Ecuador between Sucumbíos and Morona-Santiago provinces. The species inhabits semi-open to open landscapes such as the edges of humid forest, coffee plantations, and areas with some trees and shrubs; it occasionally visits the lower parts of the páramo . In elevation it ranges between 1,200 and 3,000 m (3,900 and 9,800 ft).^[6]

Behavior

Movement

The gorgeted woodstar's movements, if any, are not known but seasonal elevational changes are thought likely.^[6]

Feeding

The gorgeted woodstar forages for nectar from vegetation's middle strata to the canopy; one important source is the flowers of Inga trees. It does not defend feeding territories, and because of its small size and slow bumblebee-like flight is sometimes able to feed in the territories of other hummingbirds. In addition to feeding on nectar, it captures small insects by hawking from a perch.^[6]

Breeding

At least in parts of Colombia, the gorgeted woodstar's breeding season extends from April to October. It builds a cup nest of soft plant material with lichens, leaf pieces, and small twigs on the outside. The nest is attached with spiderweb to a vertical or horizontal branch. No other information is known about its breeding phenology.^[6]

Songs and calls

Listen to gorgeted woodstar on xeno-canto

Vocalization

The gorgeted woodstar makes "a single dry 'chit', doubled 'chichit' or tripled 'chichichit'" calls while hovering or feeding.^[6]

Status

The IUCN has assessed the gorgeted woodstar as being of Least Concern. It has a fairly large range, and though its population size is not known it is believed to be stable.^[1] It is considered rare to locally common in various parts of its range but may be more common than thought because of its small size and inconspicuous behavior.^[6]

Related Research Articles

The violet-tailed sylph is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.

The purple-throated woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.

The long-tailed sylph is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

The green-bellied hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds” tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.

The Santa Marta woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is endemic to Colombia.

The Esmeraldas woodstar is a rare, neotropical species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. There are six different species in the woodstar genus. Most of them are poorly studied due to their small size, extremely similar resemblance to each other, and rarity. Esmeraldas woodstars are one of the smallest bird species. They are sexually dimorphic. The main difference between sexes is that males have a bright purple throat. Esmeraldas woodstars are found only on the Pacific coast of west Ecuador in semi-deciduous to evergreen forests. They feed on the nectar of flowering shrubs and trees. The main threat to this species is deforestation. Esmeraldas woodstars are Vulnerable and require habitat protection.

The little woodstar, called estrellita chica in South America, is a Near Threatened species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

The rufous-shafted woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.

The white-bellied woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

The buff-winged starfrontlet is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

The greenish puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Peru.

The amethyst-throated sunangel is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.

The flame-throated sunangel or little sunangel is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.

The spangled coquette, coquette pailletée (French), coqueta coronada, or coqueta lentejuelada is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slender-tailed woodstar</span> Species of hummingbird

The slender-tailed woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is the only species placed in the genus Microstilbon. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia.

The short-tailed woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is the only species placed in the genus Myrmia. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andean hillstar</span> Species of hummingbird

The Andean hillstar is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.

The great sapphirewing is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

The Peruvian sheartail is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is the only species placed in the genus Thaumastura. It is found in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.

The sparkling-tailed woodstar, also known as the sparkling-tailed hummingbird, is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is the only species placed in the genus Tilmatura. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.

References

1 2 BirdLife International (2016). "Chaetocercus heliodor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22688268A93189882. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22688268A93189882.en . Retrieved 26 July 2022.
↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
1 2 Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved July 24, 2022
1 2 Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (January 2022). "Hummingbirds". IOC World Bird List. v 12.1. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
↑ 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
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Züchner, T. and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Gorgeted Woodstar (Chaetocercus heliodor), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.gorwoo2.01 retrieved July 26, 2022

External links

Photo(called "Gorgetted"); Article sunbirdtours
Gorgeted Woodstar photo gallery VIREO