Black-bellied Thorntail

Discosura langsdorffi

Hummingbirds · Apodiformes · Rare

The Black-bellied Thorntail (Discosura langsdorffi) is a rare hummingbird found in 6 countries, weighing about 3 g. The black-bellied thorntail is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae.

Least ConcernRareEats nectarforestcup nest3 g

About the Black-bellied Thorntail

The black-bellied thorntail is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The black-bellied thorntail weighs about 3.2 g (0.11 oz). Males are 12 to 13.7 cm (4.7 to 5.4 in) long and females 7.4 to 7.6 cm (2.9 to 3.0 in). Adults of both sexes of the nominate subspecies have an iridescent emerald green crown and coppery green upperparts with a white band across the rump. The male's gorget is iridescent emerald green with a golden coppery band below it. Its flanks are bronzy green and the rest of the underparts black. The tail inner feathers of the tail are steely blue and the outer three pairs gray; all have white shafts.

Where it lives

Recorded as a rare visitor in Bolivia, Venezuela.

When to see it

The Black-bellied Thorntail can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Black-bellied Thorntail?
The black-bellied thorntail weighs about 3.2 g (0.11 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Black-bellied Thorntail?
The Black-bellied Thorntail is a tiny sized bird weighing about 3 g.
Where can you see a Black-bellied Thorntail?
The Black-bellied Thorntail occurs in 6 countries, including Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.
What birds look similar to a Black-bellied Thorntail?
The Black-bellied Thorntail is most easily confused with the Racket-tipped Thorntail, the Wire-crested Thorntail and the Green Thorntail.
Is the Black-bellied Thorntail endangered?
The Black-bellied Thorntail is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Black-bellied Thorntail for real

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