Where can you see a Blue-throated Hillstar?

The Blue-throated Hillstar is endemic to Ecuador, which is the only country where it occurs.

What birds look similar to a Blue-throated Hillstar?

The Blue-throated Hillstar is most easily confused with the Green-headed Hillstar, the Wedge-tailed Hillstar and the Black-breasted Hillstar.

Is the Blue-throated Hillstar endangered?

The Blue-throated Hillstar is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Blue-throated Hillstar

Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus

Hummingbirds · Apodiformes · Legendary

The Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus) is a legendary hummingbird found only in Ecuador. The blue-throated hillstar is a hummingbird found only in a small portion of the southwestern Andes in Ecuador.

Critically EndangeredLegendaryEndemic

Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus), photo 1 — Photo: (c) Dan Vickers, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dan Vickers · cc-by

Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus), photo 2 — Photo: Dan Vickers · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus), photo 3 — Photo: Dan Vickers · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus), photo 4 — Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus), photo 5 — Photo: tlaloc27 · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus), photo 6 — Photo: tlaloc27 · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus), photo 7 — Photo: tlaloc27 · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus), photo 8 — Photo: (c) Dan Vickers, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus), photo 9 — Photo: (c) Ryan F. Mandelbaum, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus), photo 10 — Photo: (c) tlaloc27, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

About the Blue-throated Hillstar

The blue-throated hillstar is a hummingbird found only in a small portion of the southwestern Andes in Ecuador. It was discovered in 2017.

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

How to identify it

The top of the head of the male blue-throated hillstar is iridescent emerald green, which extends from the forehead to the base of the crown. The iridescent highlights are blue-green. The nape of the neck, mantle, lower portion of the back, rump, and upperwing coverts are bright emerald green. Some feathers in these regions have blue-green edging, and some have bronze highlights. The uppertail coverts are emerald blue-green. The upper surface of the central flight feathers are blackish blue.

Where it lives

Ecuador

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Blue-throated Hillstar?: The top of the head of the male blue-throated hillstar is iridescent emerald green, which extends from the forehead to the base of the crown. Full identification notes are on this page.
Where can you see a Blue-throated Hillstar?: The Blue-throated Hillstar is endemic to Ecuador, which is the only country where it occurs.
What birds look similar to a Blue-throated Hillstar?: The Blue-throated Hillstar is most easily confused with the Green-headed Hillstar, the Wedge-tailed Hillstar and the Black-breasted Hillstar.
Is the Blue-throated Hillstar endangered?: The Blue-throated Hillstar is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Blue-throated Hillstar for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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