Tepui goldenthroat
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Polytmus milleri

The tepui goldenthroat (Polytmus milleri ) is a species of hummingbird in the subfamily Polytminae, the mangoes. It is found in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela.

Appearance

The tepui goldenthroat is 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) long. Males weigh 4.5 to 6.1 g (0.16 to 0.22 oz) and females 4.1 to 5 g (0.14 to 0.18 oz). Males have bronzy green upperparts and glittering green underparts. The tail is shades of green with a wide white band at the base and white tips. The area around the eye is dusky gray with white streaks above and below it. The female is smaller than the male and has dull white underparts heavily dotted with golden-green, especially on the breast. Juveniles are like the adults but with buffy edges to the head's feathers.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Biogeographical realms

The tepui goldenthroat is found only on the eponymous tepuis of southern and southeastern Venezuela and slightly into western Guyana and extreme northern Brazil. On these isolated flat-topped mountains it inhabits the edge of cloudforest and scrublands with scattered trees at elevations between 1,300 and 2,200 m (4,300 and 7,200 ft).

Tepui goldenthroat habitat map
Tepui goldenthroat habitat map
Tepui goldenthroat
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Habits and Lifestyle

The tepui goldenthroat is generally sedentary but makes some elevational dispersal after breeding.

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

The tepui goldenthroat is "trap-line" feeder, visiting a circuit of a variety of flowering plants for nectar. It also catches insects on the wing and gleans spiders from vegetation and rock cavities.

Mating Habits

The tepui goldenthroat breeds in May and June. It builds a cup nest lined with fine fibers and decorated on the outside with lichen. It places it in a branch fork of a shrub, typically between 0.5 and 1 m (1.6 and 3.3 ft) above the ground. The clutch size is two eggs. The incubation time is 15 to 16 days.

Population

Population number

The IUCN has assessed the tepui goldenthroat as being of Least Concern, though its population size and trend are unknown. It is considered uncommon to locally common in its restricted range.

References

1. Tepui goldenthroat Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tepui_goldenthroat
2. Tepui goldenthroat on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22687485/93154296
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/508620

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