Green thorntail

The green thorntail (Discosura conversii) is a small hummingbird that is a resident breeder from Costa Rica to western Ecuador. It occurs at middle elevations from 700–1,400 m (2,300–4,600 ft) but may descend lower early in the wet season. In Costa Rica and Panama it is confined to the Caribbean slopes.

Green thorntail
male, Milpe Bird Sanctuary, NW Ecuador
female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Discosura
Species:
D. conversii
Binomial name
Discosura conversii
(Bourcier & Mulsant, 1846)
Synonyms

Popelairia conversii

This is a forest canopy species. The nest is undescribed, but a published image shows a female constructing a nest on a thin branch, so it is presumably similar to other cup nests built by species such as the green-breasted mango. All hummingbirds lay two white eggs incubated by the female alone.

Green thorntail has mainly green upperparts, a white rump band and a blackish lower rump and tail. It weighs just 3 g (0.11 oz). The 10 cm (3.9 in) long male has the long wire-like tail that gives this species its name and green underparts. The 7.5 cm (3.0 in) long female lacks the long tail and has blackish underparts with a green breast band. She has conspicuous white moustaches.

The green thorntail is usually silent, but may give a quiet chip. These birds visit small flowers including those of epiphytes and shrubs, and also take tiny flies and wasps. Breeding males perch on open branches and may give a dive display.

  • male, Mount Totumas cloud forest, Panama
  • male

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Discosura conversii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 978-0-8014-9600-4
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