Amethyst Woodstar
Calliphlox amethystina
The Amethyst Woodstar (Calliphlox amethystina) is a rare hummingbird found in 12 countries, weighing about 3 g. The amethyst woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds".
About the Amethyst Woodstar
The amethyst woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay and has been recorded as a vagrant on Trinidad.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The amethyst woodstar is 6 to 8.4 cm (2.4 to 3.3 in) long and weighs 3.2 to 2.5 g (0.11 to 0.088 oz). Both sexes have a medium length, straight, black bill. They have dark bronzy green upperparts with a large white spot on either side of the rump. Males have a small white spot behind the eye while females have a thin white stripe. Males in breeding plumage have an iridescent amethyst gorget with a whitish band below it. The rest of the underparts are greenish with brownish lower flanks. Its deeply forked tail is purplish black with green tips to the feathers. Voice: Very few recordings of the amethyst woodstar's vocalizations are known. Its song has not been described. Its call is a "low, very sharp rattle, like 'trr'."
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Argentina.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Amethyst Woodstar?
- The amethyst woodstar is 6 to 8.4 cm (2.4 to 3.3 in) long and weighs 3.2 to 2.5 g (0.11 to 0.088 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Amethyst Woodstar?
- The Amethyst Woodstar is a tiny sized bird weighing about 3 g.
- Where can you see an Amethyst Woodstar?
- The Amethyst Woodstar occurs in 12 countries, including Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia.
- What birds look similar to an Amethyst Woodstar?
- The Amethyst Woodstar is most easily confused with the Many-spotted Hummingbird, the Puerto Rican Emerald and the Grey-chinned Hermit.
- Is the Amethyst Woodstar endangered?
- The Amethyst Woodstar is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Amethyst Woodstar for real
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