Plain-capped Starthroat
Encyclopedia
The Plain-capped Starthroat, Heliomaster constantii, is a large-sized hummingbird
. It is 11-12 cm long, and weighs approximately 7-8 g.
Adults are colored predominantly metallic bronze on their upper-parts, tail, back and crown. The bird has a dark eye-stripe with a white stripe above and below. The Starthroat also has a white patch on the rump. The throat patch, or gorget
, is a metallic violet-red. The breast and underparts are a grayish white. The bill is straight, long and very slender. It is darkly colored. The female is slightly less colorful than the male.
The breeding habitat occurs in various habitats of western Mexico
, (the Sierra Madre Occidental
s), to southern Costa Rica
. It has occasionally been recorded in south-easternmost Arizona
of the United States
, the Madrean sky islands
of the Sierra Madre ranges. In the U.S. the bird is usually seen between mid-June and mid-Sept, in the Chiracahua
and Huachuca Mountains
of Arizona. It is not present in the U.S. every year. Most recently it has been seen at Tucson's Agua Caliente Park in June 2007, at California Gulch (Arizona) in June 2008 and at Patagonia (Arizona) in September 2010.
These birds feed on nectar from flower
s and flowering trees using a long extensible tongue or catch insect
s on the wing
.
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
. It is 11-12 cm long, and weighs approximately 7-8 g.
Adults are colored predominantly metallic bronze on their upper-parts, tail, back and crown. The bird has a dark eye-stripe with a white stripe above and below. The Starthroat also has a white patch on the rump. The throat patch, or gorget
Gorget (birds)
A gorget is a patch of colored feathers found on the throat or upper breast of some species of birds. It is a feature found on many male hummingbirds, particularly those found in North America; these gorgets are typically iridescent. Other species, such as the Purple-throated Fruitcrow and Chukar...
, is a metallic violet-red. The breast and underparts are a grayish white. The bill is straight, long and very slender. It is darkly colored. The female is slightly less colorful than the male.
The breeding habitat occurs in various habitats of western Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, (the Sierra Madre Occidental
Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range in western Mexico.-Setting:The range runs north to south, from just south of the Sonora–Arizona border southeast through eastern Sonora, western Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Aguascalientes to Guanajuato, where it joins...
s), to southern Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. It has occasionally been recorded in south-easternmost Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Madrean sky islands
Madrean sky islands
The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine-oak woodlands, found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. The sky islands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Sonoran and...
of the Sierra Madre ranges. In the U.S. the bird is usually seen between mid-June and mid-Sept, in the Chiracahua
Chiricahua Mountains
The Chiricahua Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern Arizona which are part of the Basin and Range province of the southwest, and part of the Coronado National Forest...
and Huachuca Mountains
Huachuca Mountains
The Huachuca Mountain range is part of the Sierra Vista Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest. The Huachuca Mountains are located in Cochise County, Arizona approximately south-southeast of Tucson and southwest of the city of Sierra Vista, Arizona...
of Arizona. It is not present in the U.S. every year. Most recently it has been seen at Tucson's Agua Caliente Park in June 2007, at California Gulch (Arizona) in June 2008 and at Patagonia (Arizona) in September 2010.
These birds feed on nectar from flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s and flowering trees using a long extensible tongue or catch insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s on the wing
Hawking (birds)
Hawking is a feeding strategy in birds involving catching flying insects in the air. The term usually refers to a technique of sallying out from a perch to snatch an insect and then returning to the same or a different perch...
.
External links
- Stamps bird-stamps.org (for MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
-with a RangeMap) - Plain-capped Starthroat photo-High Res (VIREO-Photo); Article w/RangeMap InfoNatura NatureServe
- Photo; Article SABO-Hummingbirds of Arizona
- Plain-capped Starthroat photo gallery VIREO Photo-High Res--(Close-up)
- Plain-capped Starthroat videos on the Internet Bird Collection
