Swallow-tailed Hummingbird
Encyclopedia
The Swallow-tailed Hummingbird (Eupetomena macroura) is a species
in the hummingbird
family
(Trochilidae), found mainly in east-central South America
. Most authorities place it in the monotypic
genus Eupetomena, although some place it in Campylopterus based on song and the thick shafts of the males' first primaries. Its common name
and specific epithet (which means "large-tailed") both refer to the long, deeply forked, somewhat swallow
-like tail.
With a total length of 15–17 cm (6-6½ in), nearly half of which is made up by the tail, and weighing up to 9 g (0.317465658946008 oz), this is a relatively large hummingbird. Indeed, in much of its range it is the largest species of typical hummingbird
. Its wings are also nearly 8 cm long – quite much for its size by hummingbird standards –, though its bill is only of mediocre length, with c.21 mm (0.826771653543307 in) not longer in absolute terms than that of many smaller relatives.
Its plumage
is brilliant iridescent green, with a blue head, upper chest, tail and vent. The tiny white spot behind the eye
, common among hummingbirds, is often not visible in this species, but the white ankle tufts, also common among the Trochilinae
, are well-developed. The remiges are blackish-brown. It has a slightly decurved medium-long black bill
. The sexes are very similar, but females are about one-fourth smaller and slightly duller than males on average. Immature birds appear like females, but their heads are particularly dull and brownish-tinged.
Its voice includes relatively loud psek notes and weaker twitters. A tik call is given when excited or alarmed.
It is virtually unmistakable, although occasionally confused with the male Violet-capped Woodnymph
(Thalurania glaucopis). These have only a blue cap however, the remainder of their head is the same green as the belly.
currently recognized, the last one of which was described only in 1988. They vary mainly in the hue of the plumage, with the blue sections ranging from green-tinged blue over ultramarine
to deep royal blue
, and the green sections ranging from golden bronzy-green over deep bottle-green to blue-tinged green. The nominate subspecies and E. m. simoni occur over a wide range, while the others are more localized endemics:
and Cerrado
of Brazil, and adjacent parts of northern and eastern Bolivia
, and far northern Paraguay
. In the coastal regions, it occurs from French Guiana
in north to Santa Catarina
, Brazil, in south.
It generally avoids the rainforest
found throughout most of the Amazon Basin
, and only extends locally into this region along the southern and eastern edge, in the relatively open habitats along the lowermost sections of the Amazon River
, including Marajó Island, and upstream to around the Tapajós River, and in isolated enclaves of woodland or savanna-like habitats within the Amazon (including so-called "Amazonian Caatinga") in south-eastern Peru
(upper Urubamba River
and Pampas del Heath), southern Suriname
(Sipaliwini savanna), central Brazil, and northern Bolivia.
It occurs in virtually any semi-open habitat
; even gardens and parks within major cities such as Rio de Janeiro
and São Paulo
. It avoids the interior of humid forest, but does occur in openings or along the edge; the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird is most common among savanna
-like vegetation. It is generally a species of lowlands, but occurs locally up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft). Not a true migrant
, some populations move north or south a short distance in the dry winter months.
Throughout the bulk of its range, it is among the commonest species of hummingbird, although it generally is uncommon in the outlying regions, particularly where it becomes more humid. In southern Brazil
, it is apparently increasing and seems to have extended its range
in recent decades. Altogether it is considered to be a Species of Least Concern
by the IUCN. It was frequently exported for the cage bird trade up to 1970, but like other hummingbirds, it is nowadays on CITES Appendix II and trade is restricted. Also, hummingbirds are generally hard to keep in captivity, and though this species is generally rather hardy, it has been noted that abandoned young may die despite given optimal treatment when trying to hand-raise them.
The Swallow-tailed Hummingbird mainly forages at mid-levels, but good food sources are exploited from anywhere near ground level right up to the tree tops. It chiefly feeds on flower nectar, particularly from Fabaceae
, Gesneriaceae
, Malvaceae
(especially Bombacoideae
and Malvoideae
), Myrtaceae
, Rubiaceae
and epiphytic Bromeliaceae
. It is not a very specialized feeder however, and has also been recorded from plants of other families
, such as Asteraceae
or Caryocaraceae
. It utilizes flowers of native as well as those of some introduced ornamental plant
s. It will also take insects caught by hawking
. In south-eastern Brazil
where it is plentiful even in urban parks and gardens, it is commonly attracted to hummingbird feeders.
It is aggressive and will defend rich food sources from other nectarivore
s; due to its size, it is generally dominant
over other species of hummingbirds. Even much larger birds are attacked by diving at them when they perch; particularly when breeding the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird will go and "dive-bomb" birds twice its own length or more, such as Campo Flicker
s (Colaptes campestris), Curl-crested Jay
s (Cyanocorax cristatellus) or Smooth-billed Ani
s (Crotophaga ani), until they have enough and leave. Disturbed by much larger birds such as Guira Cuckoos (Guira guira) or hawk
s, it will usually just give warning calls, but a female Swallow-tailed hummingbird has been observed to attack a Swainson's Hawk
(Buteo swainsonii) – weighing more than a hundred times as much as the hummingbird – in mid-air. Warning calls are also given at mammal
ian carnivore
s and humans, though in urban environment this hummingbird may tolerate human observers for prolonged time, even when nesting, if they keep a distance of 10 meters or so.
In a study of a nest in urban São Paulo
, it was noted that the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird mother drove away Ruddy Ground Dove
s (Columbina talpacoti) attempting to nest nearby. Far more placid, cumbersome and meaty birds than the hummingbird, these small doves often become prey to smaller carnivores, and by chasing away the doves the hummingbird would have lowered attractiveness to its nest's surroundings to such predators. Smaller mammal
s, such as the Common Marmoset
(Callithrix jacchus) may occasionally plunder Swallow-tailed Hummingbird nests, despite the birds' attempts to defend their offspring.
At least in some situations, Philornis
botfly
larva
e heavily infest nestling birds. It seems that quite a considerable number of nestlings are even killed by these parasites.
Across its range, it can be found to engage in some behavior related to reproduction almost year-round. In courtship, the male hovers in front of the sitting female, chase her through the air and the two may beform a 'zig-zag flight' together; the first activity is can be seen throughout the day except in the hottest hours around noon, while courtship chases are most frequent at dusk.
Birds have been seen carrying nesting material between July and September and in December. The nest is a cup-shaped structure lined with soft plant fibres and clad on the outside with lichen
and moss
es, held together with spider web
s. It is placed on a horizontal twig in smallish trees, e.g. Cochlospermum
, typically below 3 m (10 ft), but occasionally as high as 15 m (50 ft) above the ground. The clutch
consist of two white eggs and like in other hummingbirds, only the female takes care of the eggs and young.
The chicks hatch after 15–16 days; they are initially nude save for some grey down
on the back, and have dark skin. They start to grow feathers 5 days or so after hatching, starting with the remiges; the rectrices begin to emerge about 3 days later. The young are fed 1-2 times per hour on average, and the female spends about half of the day brooding and feeding her offspring, and the other half flying around and feeding. The young fledge
after 22–24 days but still return to the nest to sleep and be brooded for some more days; they are independent some 2–3 weeks after fledging. Two broods may be raised subsequently, sometimes reusing the nest; due to the prolonged breeding season three broods might be raised per year in theory, but this does not seem to happen. The species first breeds at 1–2 years of age.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in the hummingbird
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...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(Trochilidae), found mainly in east-central South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Most authorities place it in the monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus Eupetomena, although some place it in Campylopterus based on song and the thick shafts of the males' first primaries. Its common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
and specific epithet (which means "large-tailed") both refer to the long, deeply forked, somewhat swallow
Swallow
The swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
-like tail.
Description
Trochilinae
Trochilinae is a subfamily of the hummingbird family . Members of the subfamily Trochilinae are sometimes called typical hummingbirds. They typically display iridescent plumage in metallic reds, oranges, greens and/or blues...
. Its wings are also nearly 8 cm long – quite much for its size by hummingbird standards –, though its bill is only of mediocre length, with c.21 mm (0.826771653543307 in) not longer in absolute terms than that of many smaller relatives.
Its plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
is brilliant iridescent green, with a blue head, upper chest, tail and vent. The tiny white spot behind the eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
, common among hummingbirds, is often not visible in this species, but the white ankle tufts, also common among the Trochilinae
Trochilinae
Trochilinae is a subfamily of the hummingbird family . Members of the subfamily Trochilinae are sometimes called typical hummingbirds. They typically display iridescent plumage in metallic reds, oranges, greens and/or blues...
, are well-developed. The remiges are blackish-brown. It has a slightly decurved medium-long black bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
. The sexes are very similar, but females are about one-fourth smaller and slightly duller than males on average. Immature birds appear like females, but their heads are particularly dull and brownish-tinged.
Its voice includes relatively loud psek notes and weaker twitters. A tik call is given when excited or alarmed.
It is virtually unmistakable, although occasionally confused with the male Violet-capped Woodnymph
Violet-capped Woodnymph
The Violet-capped Woodnymph is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in forest , dense woodland, gardens and parks in south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, Uruguay, and far north-eastern Argentina...
(Thalurania glaucopis). These have only a blue cap however, the remainder of their head is the same green as the belly.
Subspecies
There are 5 subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
currently recognized, the last one of which was described only in 1988. They vary mainly in the hue of the plumage, with the blue sections ranging from green-tinged blue over ultramarine
Ultramarine
Ultramarine is a blue pigment consisting primarily of a double silicate of aluminium and sodium with some sulfides or sulfates, and occurring in nature as a proximate component of lapis lazuli...
to deep royal blue
Royal blue
Royal blue describes both a bright shade and a dark shade of azure blue. It is said to have been invented by millers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of which won a competition to make a dress for the British queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz....
, and the green sections ranging from golden bronzy-green over deep bottle-green to blue-tinged green. The nominate subspecies and E. m. simoni occur over a wide range, while the others are more localized endemics:
- Eupetomena macroura macroura (Gmelin, 1788) – Guianas; AmapáAmapáAmapá is one of the states of Brazil, located in the extreme north, bordering French Guiana and Suriname to the north. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south and west is the Brazilian state of Pará. Perhaps one of the main features of the state is the River Oiapoque, as it was once...
, N and S ParáParáPará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
, Mato GrossoMato GrossoMato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
, SW GoiásGoiásGoiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The name Goiás comes from the name of an indigenous community...
and Minas GeraisMinas GeraisMinas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
, São Paulo, Santa CatarinaSanta Catarina (state)Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
and ParanáParaná (state)Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
states in BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
; ParaguayParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
. Intergrades with E. m. simoni in Goiás and Minas Gerais states.
- Blue parts ultramarine, green parts deep bottle-green
- Eupetomena macroura hirundo (GouldJohn GouldJohn Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
, 1875) – E PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
- Eupetomena macroura hirundo (Gould
- Blue quite dull, tail less deeply forked
- Eupetomena macroura simoni (HellmayrCarl Edward HellmayrCarl Eduard Hellmayr was an Austrian ornithologist.-Life and work:Hellmayr was born in Vienna and studied at the University of Vienna, although he did not finish his degree...
, 1929) – NE Brazil from S MaranhãoMaranhãoMaranhão is a northeastern state of Brazil. To the north lies the Atlantic Ocean. Maranhão is neighbored by the states of Piauí, Tocantins and Pará. The people of Maranhão have a distinctive accent...
, PiauíPiauíPiauí is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country.Piauí has the shortest coastline of any of the non-landlocked Brazilian states at 66 km , and the capital, Teresina, is the only state capital in the north east to be located inland...
, CearáCearáCeará is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is currently the 8th largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of...
, PernambucoPernambucoPernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
and BahiaBahiaBahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
to central Goiás and Minas Gerais
- Eupetomena macroura simoni (Hellmayr
- The bluest subspecies; blue parts dark royal blue, green parts blue-tinged.
- Eupetomena macroura bolivianus (ZimmerJohn Todd ZimmerJohn Todd Zimmer was a leading American ornithologist.A graduate of University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he took an early interest in both entomology and ornithology...
, 1950) – NE BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
(Beni DepartmentBeni DepartmentBeni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
)
- Eupetomena macroura bolivianus (Zimmer
- The greenest subspecies; head more green than blue, green parts pure bright green.
- Eupetomena macroura cyanoviridis (Grantsau, 1988) – Serra do MarSerra do MarSerra do Mar is a 1,500 km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil, which runs in parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast from the state of Espírito Santo to southern Santa Catarina, although some include Serra Geral in the Serra do Mar, in which case this range...
in S São Paulo state
- Eupetomena macroura cyanoviridis (Grantsau, 1988) – Serra do Mar
- Another very green subspecies; blue parts green-tinged, green parts golden bronzy green.
Distribution and ecology
The majority of the range of the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird is in the CaatingaCaatinga
Caatinga is a type of vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in the northeastern part of Brazil. The name "Caatinga" is a Tupi word meaning "white forest" or "white vegetation"...
and Cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
of Brazil, and adjacent parts of northern and eastern Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, and far northern Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
. In the coastal regions, it occurs from French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
in north to Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
, Brazil, in south.
It generally avoids the rainforest
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
found throughout most of the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
, and only extends locally into this region along the southern and eastern edge, in the relatively open habitats along the lowermost sections of the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
, including Marajó Island, and upstream to around the Tapajós River, and in isolated enclaves of woodland or savanna-like habitats within the Amazon (including so-called "Amazonian Caatinga") in south-eastern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
(upper Urubamba River
Urubamba River
The Urubamba River is a river in Peru. A partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River, it rises in the Andes to the south-east of Cuzco near the Puno Region border, where it is called the Vilcanota River . In the Sacred Valley, between Písac and Ollantaytambo, it is also called the Wilcamayu...
and Pampas del Heath), southern Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
(Sipaliwini savanna), central Brazil, and northern Bolivia.
It occurs in virtually any semi-open habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
; even gardens and parks within major cities such as Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
and São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
. It avoids the interior of humid forest, but does occur in openings or along the edge; the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird is most common among savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
-like vegetation. It is generally a species of lowlands, but occurs locally up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft). Not a true migrant
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, some populations move north or south a short distance in the dry winter months.
Throughout the bulk of its range, it is among the commonest species of hummingbird, although it generally is uncommon in the outlying regions, particularly where it becomes more humid. In southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, it is apparently increasing and seems to have extended its range
Range (biology)
In biology, the range or distribution of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found. Within that range, dispersion is variation in local density.The term is often qualified:...
in recent decades. Altogether it is considered to be a Species of Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
by the IUCN. It was frequently exported for the cage bird trade up to 1970, but like other hummingbirds, it is nowadays on CITES Appendix II and trade is restricted. Also, hummingbirds are generally hard to keep in captivity, and though this species is generally rather hardy, it has been noted that abandoned young may die despite given optimal treatment when trying to hand-raise them.
Ecological interactions
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
, Gesneriaceae
Gesneriaceae
Gesneriaceae is a family of flowering plants consisting of ca. 150 genera and ca. 3,200 species in the Old World and New World tropics and subtropics, with a very small number extending to temperate areas. Many species have colorful and showy flowers and are cultivated as ornamental plants.Most...
, Malvaceae
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...
(especially Bombacoideae
Bombacoideae
Bombacoideae is a subfamily of the mallow family, Malvaceae. It contains herbaceous and woody plants. Their leaves are alternate, commonly palmately lobed, with small and caducous stipules. Flowers are hermaphroditic and actinomorphic; the calyx has 5 sepals united at the base, accompanied...
and Malvoideae
Malvoideae
Malvoideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, which includes in the minimum the genus Malva. It was first used by Burnett in 1835, but was not much used until recently, where, within the framework of the APG System, which unites the families Malvaceae, Bombacaceae, Sterculiaceae and...
), Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
, Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
and epiphytic Bromeliaceae
Bromeliaceae
Bromeliaceae is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 3,170 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, Pitcairnia feliciana...
. It is not a very specialized feeder however, and has also been recorded from plants of other families
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, such as Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
or Caryocaraceae
Caryocaraceae
Caryocaraceae is a family of flowering plants consisting of two genera and about 25 species. The family is exclusively neotropical.- Species :Anthodiscus*Anthodiscus obovatus Benth. ex Wittm.*Anthodiscus pilosus Ducke...
. It utilizes flowers of native as well as those of some introduced ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
s. It will also take insects caught by hawking
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...
. In south-eastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
where it is plentiful even in urban parks and gardens, it is commonly attracted to hummingbird feeders.
It is aggressive and will defend rich food sources from other nectarivore
Nectarivore
In zoology, nectarivore is an animal which eats the sugar-rich nectar produced by flowering plants. Most nectarivores are insects or birds, but there are also nectarivorous mammals, notably several species of bats in the Southwestern United States and Mexico, as well as the Australian Honey Possum...
s; due to its size, it is generally dominant
Dominance hierarchy
A dominance hierarchy is the organization of individuals in a group that occurs when competition for resources leads to aggression...
over other species of hummingbirds. Even much larger birds are attacked by diving at them when they perch; particularly when breeding the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird will go and "dive-bomb" birds twice its own length or more, such as Campo Flicker
Campo Flicker
The Campo Flicker is a species of bird in the woodpecker family. It is found in a wide range of open and semi-open habitats in eastern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and north-eastern Argentina, with isolated populations in Amapá and southern Suriname...
s (Colaptes campestris), Curl-crested Jay
Curl-crested Jay
The Curl-crested Jay is a jay from South America.This New World or "blue" jay is a beautiful and large bird with predominantly dark blue back, an almost black head and neck, and snow-white chest and underparts...
s (Cyanocorax cristatellus) or Smooth-billed Ani
Smooth-billed Ani
The Smooth-billed Ani is a large near passerine bird in the cuckoo family. It is a resident breeding species from southern Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, parts of Central America, south to western Ecuador, Brazil, and northern Argentina.This ani is found in open and semi-open country and...
s (Crotophaga ani), until they have enough and leave. Disturbed by much larger birds such as Guira Cuckoos (Guira guira) or hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s, it will usually just give warning calls, but a female Swallow-tailed hummingbird has been observed to attack a Swainson's Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
The Swainson's Hawk , is a large buteo hawk of the Falconiformes, sometimes separated in the Accipitriformes like its relatives. This species was named after William Swainson, a British naturalist...
(Buteo swainsonii) – weighing more than a hundred times as much as the hummingbird – in mid-air. Warning calls are also given at mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
ian carnivore
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
s and humans, though in urban environment this hummingbird may tolerate human observers for prolonged time, even when nesting, if they keep a distance of 10 meters or so.
In a study of a nest in urban São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, it was noted that the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird mother drove away Ruddy Ground Dove
Ruddy Ground Dove
The Ruddy Ground Dove is a small New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from Mexico south to Peru, Brazil and Paraguay, and northern Argentina, and on Trinidad and Tobago...
s (Columbina talpacoti) attempting to nest nearby. Far more placid, cumbersome and meaty birds than the hummingbird, these small doves often become prey to smaller carnivores, and by chasing away the doves the hummingbird would have lowered attractiveness to its nest's surroundings to such predators. Smaller mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, such as the Common Marmoset
Common Marmoset
The common marmoset is a New World monkey. It originally lived on the Northeastern coast of Brazil, in the states of Piaui, Paraiba, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Bahia...
(Callithrix jacchus) may occasionally plunder Swallow-tailed Hummingbird nests, despite the birds' attempts to defend their offspring.
At least in some situations, Philornis
Philornis
Philornis is a genus of around 50 species of fly from the Americas, mainly South America although two species are found in the southern United States. It is one of two genera where the larvae are parasitic on birds. One species, Philornis downsi has been accidentally introduced to the Galapagos...
botfly
Botfly
A botfly is any fly in the family Oestridae, which includes all the members of the former families Cuterebridae, Gasterophilidae, and Hypodermatidae. It is the only family of flies whose larvae live as obligate parasites within the bodies of mammals, with the exception of a few screwworm flies in...
larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e heavily infest nestling birds. It seems that quite a considerable number of nestlings are even killed by these parasites.
Reproduction
Birds have been seen carrying nesting material between July and September and in December. The nest is a cup-shaped structure lined with soft plant fibres and clad on the outside with lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
and moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
es, held together with spider web
Spider web
A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets....
s. It is placed on a horizontal twig in smallish trees, e.g. Cochlospermum
Cochlospermum
Cochlospermum is a genus of trees in the Cochlospermaceae family; many classifications place this genus in the family Bixaceae....
, typically below 3 m (10 ft), but occasionally as high as 15 m (50 ft) above the ground. The clutch
Clutch (eggs)
A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
consist of two white eggs and like in other hummingbirds, only the female takes care of the eggs and young.
The chicks hatch after 15–16 days; they are initially nude save for some grey down
Down feather
The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers. Very young birds are clad only in down. Powder down is a specialized type of down found only in a few groups of birds. Down is a fine thermal insulator and padding, used in goods such as jackets, bedding,...
on the back, and have dark skin. They start to grow feathers 5 days or so after hatching, starting with the remiges; the rectrices begin to emerge about 3 days later. The young are fed 1-2 times per hour on average, and the female spends about half of the day brooding and feeding her offspring, and the other half flying around and feeding. The young fledge
Fledge
Fledge is the stage in a young bird's life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. It also describes the act of a chick's parents raising it to a fully grown state...
after 22–24 days but still return to the nest to sleep and be brooded for some more days; they are independent some 2–3 weeks after fledging. Two broods may be raised subsequently, sometimes reusing the nest; due to the prolonged breeding season three broods might be raised per year in theory, but this does not seem to happen. The species first breeds at 1–2 years of age.
External links
- "Swallow-tailed Hummingbird" videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Stamps (for Brazil) with RangeMap
- "Swallow-tailed Hummingbird" photo gallery VIREO Photo-High Res
- Photo-High Res; Article tropicalbirding—Tropical Birding: "Southeast Brazil"
